Taft and Niles West are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Eagles will head out on the road to challenge the Wolves at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. Taft is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 11 runs per game this season.
Niles West will be up against a hot Taft team: the squad just extended their winning streak to three. The Eagles came out on top against Amundsen by a score of 8-5 on Wednesday.
Michaela Power was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run.
Victoria Perez
| 04/08/26 vs Amundsen | 2 |
| 04/04/26 vs Palatine | 1 |
| 03/30/26 vs Jones | 1 |
| 03/10/26 vs DePaul College Prep | 1 |
| 04/12/25 vs Northside | 1 |
In other batting news, Victoria Perez was incredible, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Jaida Matos also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Niles West). They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Maine South 13-11. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Wolves have posted since May 16, 2025.
Ava Kolbe was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Cheyenne Alameda was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
Niles West always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Taft's record is now 8-1. As for Niles West, their record now sits at 3-4.
Niles West's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Friday. Taft has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.6 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Niles West, though, as they've been averaging only 3.6 strikeouts. Will Taft keep running through batters, or will the Wolves buck the trend?
Taft couldn't quite finish off Niles West in their previous matchup back in April of 2025 and fell 3-1. Can the Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
