It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Incarnate Word Academy had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They walked away with an 8-5 victory over the John Paul II Guardians. The Angels haven't had any issues with the Guardians recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive win against them.
Arisela Perez made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 20 consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Addie Aleman and Harper Phillips did most of the damage at the plate: Aleman went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base, while Phillips went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Bridy McDavid was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Angels
| 05/07/26 @ John Paul II | 13 |
| 04/30/26 vs St. Francis Episcopal | 10 |
| 04/24/26 @ Sacred Heart | 4 |
| 04/15/26 vs John Paul II | 12 |
| 04/13/26 @ Geneva | 7 |
| + 32 more games |
Incarnate Word Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in April of 2025.
Incarnate Word Academy's victory bumped their record up to 20-9. As for John Paul II, their defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-8.
As of now, neither Incarnate Word Academy nor the Guardians have any future games scheduled.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps