The North Stars will challenge the Shafter Generals on Thursday. North is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.5 runs per game this season.
If North beats Shafter with seven runs on Thursday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. North came out on top against Kern Valley by a score of 7-3 on Tuesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Stars.
CHAYDEN BENNITT
| 03/11/25 vs Kern Valley | 3 |
| 04/10/24 @ West | 2 |
| 03/08/24 @ McFarland | 2 |
| 02/23/24 vs Kennedy | 2 |
| 03/04/25 vs California City | 1 |
CHAYDEN BENNITT was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (three). ALEJANDRO GALINDO was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last contest, Shafter made sure to put some runs up on the board against Del Oro last Monday. Shafter blew past Del Oro 16-1. The game marked the Generals' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Nini Garcia made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Garcia was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
In other batting news, Shafter let Alex Casanova-Balderrama and Joaquin Garza run wild. Casanova-Balderrama scored a run and stole Two bases. while going 2-for-2, while Garza scored two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Garza also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Dustin Smith, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-2.
Shafter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits every time they've taken the field this season.
The win got North back to even at 3-3. As for Shafter, their victory bumped their record up to 3-1.
Thursday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. North has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .457. However, it's not like Shafter struggles in that department as they've averaged .579. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North came up short against Shafter in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 9-4. Can North avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
