Lady Generals swinging for the fences

The Shafter High Lady Generals softball team has began their SSL season undefeated and have only two losses all season, giving the team a great chance at a high seed when playoff time comes around.

Shafter has a 12-2-2 record overall and they are a perfect 4-0 to start their league season. They came away with a narrow victory 6-5 against a tough Chavez team to remain perfect in league. In that game, sophomore Madison Ortiz went a perfect 4-4 at the plate, with three singles and a double. Cassidy Torres chipped in with a 2-4 performance, with the team getting a total of 10 hits in the win. Senior Serenity Angulo pitched for Shafter, throwing a 3-hitter, and getting eight strikeouts.

Shafter has dominated other league competition, with two wins against McFarland, 14-3 and 19-0. This year's squad is a young team, with only three seniors. Angulo, Hailey Cruz and Ariana Vega are the seniors on the squad, leading the way for the younger girls. The team's only two losses have come against powerhouses Liberty and Golden West. Both of these teams are ranked in the top 20 in the Central Valley rankings. Shafter is currently ranked 23rd in the Valley, and in the top 10 of teams in Kern County.

They still have a couple of tough tests on their schedule before the playoffs begin. They have two games against Taft and they finish the league season with two games against rivals Wasco, who are currently ranked one spot ahead of Shafter in the rankings.