SHS sweeps Wasco to end SSL baseball season

The Shafter High Generals baseball team swept their rivals last week, completing their SSL season in second place. The teams came into the series tied for second place.

The Generals beat the Tigers at home, 2-1, to get a game separation between them heading into the final game of the regular season. Shafter traveled to Wasco on Thursday and completed the sweep with a 12-10 win.

The Generals used timely hitting in the first meeting, with a strong pitching performance by Jesus Paez, who struck out 12 batters. Shafter was behind 1-0 going into their last at-bats, but then scored two runs to take the win.

In the second game, Shafter outscored the Tigers in a reversal of the low-scoring first game. The Generals got 16 hits and needed every one of them to outlast the Tigers. It looked like it might be turnabout on the Generals in Wasco, when Shafter went into the last inning with a lead, only to see the Tigers tie the game in the bottom half, forcing the game into extra innings. But, the Generals held their composure and scored two runs, capturing sole possession of second place in the SSL, just behind Taft.

Shafter goes into the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Division V. They will host Minartes on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. If they win that game, it is possible that they may meet Wasco again. The Tigers travel to Santa Maria to play the No. 6 seeded Pirates.

The Generals, led by first year Head Coach John Hill, have had a lot of the players together for several years before even entering high school. They have played together through the Recreation Department teams, as well as the Shafter traveling baseball team. The guys have grown up with each other and are playing as a cohesive unit that makes a good team into a great one. It has also been a lot of fun for the fans and parents of the team, watching this journey the kids have been on this year,' said parent Jennifer Garza.