This year's Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox catching platoon, Brady Dallimore from Texas Christian University and Mateo Serna who recently entered the transfer portal, appear to be a powerful asset on both the offensive and defensive ends.
The 3-0 Red Sox began the season with Serna behind the dish, but his bat was off to a quiet start.
He went 0-for-3 and was eventually pinch hit for by pitcher Luke Billings (Texas A&M).
Dallimore was officially activated for game two of the season on Sunday against Orleans. Still, Serna was given a chance to redeem himself as a starter.
He did.
In the fifth inning of Sunday’s game, Serna walked before getting batted in by outfielder John Beverley. Then, the catcher cranked a solo home run in the top of the seventh.
He ended 1-for-2 with two RBI and one walk.
This offensive breakout for Serna was not a fluke, but involved a strategic few plays. For example, in his home run at-bat, he knew what pitch he was getting and squared up accordingly.
“It was three-and-one, so I knew he was going to throw me something in the middle,” Serna told Olivia Lambert, Y-D’s sideline reporter.
He was sure he was getting a fastball, he said.
In a further testament to his versatility, Serna is a switch-hitter.
This requires him to put in the work to ensure both his left and right sides stay in peak shape.
He also must alternate between putting himself in the minds of left and right-handed pitchers to get the most out of his at-bats, he explained.
“Just knowing what the pitcher wants to do to me, and the situation, is most important,” Serna said.
Dallimore pinch hit for his platoon partner late in the game, and although he had little to show for it with an 0-for-1 day, the Red Sox won 7-2.
After Serna’s offensive breakout on Sunday, it was Dallimore’s turn to show up on Monday.
On Monday, despite making one overthrow to second on an attempt to put out a steal from Falmouth in the fourth inning, the 6 '4 Dallimore thrived in his first full-game with Y-D.
In the second inning, Dallimore drove a fastball over the left-fielder’s head for a double. He was then driven in by Beverley to put Y-D ahead 1-0.
“[It] felt pretty good,” Dallimore said.
It didn’t take him much time to thrive on a new team, or adjust to the prestigious pitching of the Cape League.
“Just having a good time out here, no pressure, just having fun,” he said.
Then, in the seventh inning, Dallimore threw to Phoenix Call (University of California Los Angeles) to tag out Falmouth’s Nick Venteicher (Creighton University) on an attempted steal.
Dallimore broke down what goes through his head in a play that must be executed in a matter of milliseconds.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the runner take off,” he explained. “So what I do, catching wise, as the pitch is coming [is] anticipating the throw down. Then, I just try to make a good exchange and put a good throw on it.”
Y-D beat Falmouth 3-2, solidifying a 3-0 stretch in which Serna and Dallimore have shown what they can contribute to the team.
Aside from baseball, Serna is enjoying the Cape’s summer weather, and Dallimore is looking forward to going to the beach and (hopefully) catching a fish for the first time in six years.
