The Palma Chieftains will face off against the Carmel Padres at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Palma sitting on six straight victories and Carmel on four.
On Wednesday, Palma needed a bit of extra time to put away Soledad. They won by a run and slipped past the Aztecs 9-8. That's two games straight that the Chieftains have won by just one run.
Gabe Serrano
| 04/22/26 @ Soledad | 6 |
| 04/06/26 vs Menlo School | 5 |
| 03/27/26 vs Monte Vista Christian | 4 |
| 03/20/26 @ Hollister | 2 |
| 03/18/26 vs Hollister | 0 |
| 03/11/26 @ Carmel | 6 |
Gabe Serrano made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in March. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rocco Razzeca, who went 2-for-5 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Matt Alioto, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Palma kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Soledad only managed five.
Meanwhile, Carmel made easy work of St. Francis on Wednesday and carried off a 10-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Padres, who have now won six contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Carmel also got a great performance from Lucas Rocha as he tossed five innings while giving up just two earned runs off six hits.
At the plate, John Beretti was a standout: he got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Dean Briant was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Palma's victory bumped their record up to 14-6. As for Carmel, their win bumped their record up to 14-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Palma has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Carmel struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Palma couldn't quite get it done against Carmel in their previous meeting back in March as they fell 3-0. Can the Chieftains avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
