The Palma Chieftains will take on the Aptos Mariners at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Palma knows how to get runs on the board -- the squad has finished with ten runs or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully Aptos likes a good challenge.
On Thursday, Palma made easy work of Soledad and carried off a 15-2 victory. Considering the Chieftains have won 14 games by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Gabe Serrano
| 05/15/25 vs Soledad | 11 |
| 04/17/25 @ Soledad | 6 |
| 05/11/24 @ Aptos | 4 |
| 03/15/25 vs Pacific Grove | 3 |
| 03/29/25 @ Scotts Valley | 2 |
Gabe Serrano tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Palma got a massive performance out of Rocco Razzeca, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. That's the most RBI Razzeca has posted since back in April. The team also got some help courtesy of Alan Gonzalez, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base.
Palma was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .455. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .324 or higher in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Aptos was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 2-1 heartbreaker at the hands of Santa Cruz.
Aptos saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Damien Espinoza, who went 1-for-3 with one double.
Palma is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.2 runs over those games. As for Aptos, their loss dropped their record down to 10-16.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Palma has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Aptos struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Palma beat Aptos 9-5 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Chieftains repeat their success, or do the Mariners have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
