St. Charles West extended their losing streak to four on Monday, dropping them down to 5-5. They fell 9-6 to the Incarnate Word Academy Red Knights. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Warriors of the 3-0 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in September of 2024.
Taylor Krahl was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
As for Incarnate Word Academy, they pushed their record up to 10-8 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games.
On Incarnate Word Academy's side, Layla Portis was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up four earned (and two unearned) runs off ten hits. Portis has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Incarnate Word Academy got a massive performance out of Makenna Brannam, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI, one triple, and one run. Those four RBI gave Brannam a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Mary Kling, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Looking ahead, St. Charles West will host St. Charles at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Incarnate Word Academy, they will head out on the road to face off against Ursuline Academy at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bears have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 12 runs per game on average), something the Red Knights will no doubt try to take advantage of.
