The Shafter Generals will head out to face off against the North Stars on Thursday. Shafter is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 13.5 runs per game this season.
Shafter will roll into the contest after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs last Saturday, then bounced right back against Del Oro last Monday. Everything went Shafter's way against Del Oro as Shafter made off with a 16-1 victory. The Generals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by nine runs or more 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.
| 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, Alex Casanova-Balderrama and Joaquin Garza did most of the damage at the plate: 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. The team also got some help courtesy of 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, North won against California City last Tuesday with seven runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. North walked away with a 7-3 win over Kern Valley. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Stars.
CHAYDEN BENNITT was excellent, scoring a run while going 1-for-3. ALEJANDRO GALINDO was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
The victory got North back to even at 3-3. As for Shafter, their record is now 3-1.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Shafter has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .579. However, it's not like North struggles in that department as they've averaged .457. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Shafter beat North 9-4 in their previous matchup back in March of 2024. Will Shafter repeat their success, or does North have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
