Generals have rough outings against rivals

The Shafter Generals softball and baseball teams had rough outings on Tuesday, both squads losing to rivals Wasco, 5-2 and 8-1 respectively.

The Lady Generals took a 3-1 league record into the contest, with their only loss to Chavez High School. Shafter could not get their bats going, and fell into a hole early.

Wasco scored one run in the first inning, getting a hit off of Shafter's top pitcher, Serenity Angulo. The Tigers added a second run in the fourth inning. Wasco broke it open in the sixth inning, scoring 3 more runs, giving them a 5-0 lead.

The Lady Generals got two of the runs back, closing the gap to 5-2, but couldn't get any closer. Madison Ortiz hit a triple for the Lady Generals, getting an RBI, with Angulo getting the other RBI for Shafter.

Angulo ended the game with 7 strikeouts and allowed 6 hits for the game. But, the hits were at opportune times, and the Tigers batted well with runners in scoring position. Shafter hit the ball hard a few times, but it seemed to go right at a Wasco fielder, or the fielders for the Tigers made outstanding plays to prevent any offense for the Lady Generals.

Shafter is ranked number 3 in the Central Section Division V, with their opponents in last year's Valley Championship game, Highland High, holding the number one spot.

Shafter will next play Chavez at home on Thursday afternoon and will go to Taft to take on the Wildcats on Tuesday. Shafter pulled out a 6-5 nailbiter against Taft in their previous meeting.

The Shafter High baseball team played it close with the Tigers for five innings, with the visitors breaking the game open in the 6th inning with 6 runs, giving them an 8-0 lead. The Generals managed one run, but ended the game with an 8-1 loss.

The loss keeps the Generals winless in the South Sequoia League, with the Generals looking for their first league win on Thursday against Chavez High. They will then go to Taft to play the Wildcats.

All of the games begin at 4 p.m.