The Palma Chieftains will look to take advantage of their home field for the first time this season as they take on the Monterey Dores at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Palma has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the game with three straight defeats, while Monterey will come in with four straight victories.
Palma came into this matchup off a tough ten-run loss on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Salinas by a score of 6-4 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Chieftains have suffered since April 14, 2025.
Mulan Hunkin made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with three RBI and two doubles. Those doubles marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Brynn Baxter, who went 2-for-3 with one run and one double.
Meanwhile, Monterey made easy work of Watsonville on Tuesday and carried off an 11-5 win. Considering the Dores have won five contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Nicole Seal spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered five earned runs on nine hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Anaiyah Brown was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Jenna Deese was another key player, going 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Monterey kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive matchups.
Palma's loss dropped their record down to 5-4. As for Monterey, their victory bumped their record up to 7-3.
Palma suffered a grim 11-0 defeat to Monterey in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. Can the Chieftains avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
