The Monterey Dores will head out on the road to square off against the Palma Chieftains at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Friday just wasn't the day for Monterey's offense. They lost 7-0 to Carmel on Friday. The loss continues a trend for the Dores in their meetings with the Padres: they've now lost seven in a row.
Meanwhile, Palma had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.5 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Tuesday. Everything went their way against the Cowboys as they made off with an 8-2 victory. Considering the Chieftains have won 12 matches by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Alan Gonzalez made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, firing off two home runs while going 2-for-4.
In other batting news, Gabe Serrano was excellent, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one double. Another player making a difference was Aiden Veliz, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Palma hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least four batters in three consecutive contests.
Monterey's defeat dropped their record down to 8-15. As for Palma, their record is now 18-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Monterey has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Palma struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Monterey suffered a grim 10-3 defeat to Palma when the teams last played back in April. Can the Dores avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
