Softball Game Preview: Shafter Generals vs. Kennedy Thunderbirds

For the second straight game, Shafter will face off against Kennedy. The Generals will host the Thunderbirds at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Shafter has four straight victories, Kennedy has 11 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Shafter's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 14-0 margin over Kennedy. The Generals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight contests by eight runs or more this season.

Maddison Ortiz made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was her first of the season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Emily Pugh, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Marley Munoz, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.

Shafter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Shafter's win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-4-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Kennedy, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-12.