Shafter hasn't had much luck against Arvin recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Shafter Generals will be taking part in a tournament against the Arvin Bears at 3:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Tuesday.
Shafter will roll into the game after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Saturday, then bounced right back against Del Oro on Monday. Shafter put the hurt on Del Oro with a sharp 16-1 win. That looming 16-1 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Generals yet this season.
Nini Garcia made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Garcia was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with five RBI, one stolen base, and one run.
Alex Casanova-Balderrama
| 03/03/25 @ Del Oro | 2 |
| 02/26/25 @ Golden Valley | 1 |
| 05/16/24 vs Wasco | 1 |
| 04/18/24 @ Kennedy | 1 |
| 04/02/24 vs McFarland | 1 |
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. Those two stolen bases gave Casanova-Balderrama a new career-high. 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.
Meanwhile, Arvin entered their tilt with West on Saturday with two consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with three. They blew past the Vikings 12-3. The Bears' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Christian Gomez was a major factor no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits. Gomez was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Noe Perez, who scored three runs and stole Six bases. while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Jaime Pantoja was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Shafter's victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Arvin, their win bumped their record up to an identical 3-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Shafter has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Arvin struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
