Incarnate Word Academy is preparing for their first district matchup of the season on Tuesday. They will take on the Holy Cross Knights at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Incarnate Word Academy 1.9, Holy Cross 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Incarnate Word Academy will roll into the matchup after a wild two-game stretch: they didn't score any runs last Friday, then bounced right back against King on Monday. Incarnate Word Academy came out on top against King by a score of 10-0 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game). The Angels might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine games by six runs or more this season.
Arisela Perez
| 03/10/25 vs King | 13 |
| 03/07/25 vs Sacred Heart | 10 |
| 03/01/25 vs Kaufer | 10 |
Arisela Perez was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than ten strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Harper Phillips, who scored a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Maddie Taylor also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Holy Cross had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.6 runs) and they went ahead and made it six on Thursday. They came out on top against the Shamrocks by a score of 6-3.
Like Incarnate Word Academy, Holy Cross also got a great game from a two-way player: Haven Castillo. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Castillo was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one double.
In other batting news, Leena Garcia was excellent, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Ariel Bosman, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Holy Cross hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now struck out at most four strikeouts in five consecutive contests.
Holy Cross' victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-2. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games. As for Incarnate Word Academy, their record now sits at 13-1-1.
Tuesday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Incarnate Word Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .423. However, it's not like Holy Cross struggles in that department as they've averaged .460. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Incarnate Word Academy suffered a grim 12-1 defeat to Holy Cross in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can Incarnate Word Academy avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
