Baseball Game Preview: Hancock Panthers vs. Turkeyfoot Valley Area Rams

Hancock has gone a perfect 4-0 against Turkeyfoot Valley Area recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Panthers will look to defend their home field against the Rams at 4:45 p.m. Neither Hancock nor Turkeyfoot Valley Area posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

Things were looking good for Hancock after they put the first runs on the board on Wednesday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of Fort Hill by a score of 3-2.

Blaire Ray

Stolen Base

04/07/25 @ Berkeley Springs	3
03/24/25 vs Berkeley Springs	3
04/09/25 vs Fort Hill	2
03/21/25 vs Calvary Christian Academy	2
04/03/25 vs Mountain Ridge	1

Hancock saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Blaire Ray, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3. Ray has become a key player for the Panthers: the team is 3-1 when he posts at least two stolen bases, but 1-2 otherwise.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Turkeyfoot Valley Area's good fortune finally ran out on Wednesday. They came up short against Shanksville Stonycreek, falling 12-2. The game marked the Rams' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Zack Ryan made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole three bases while going 2-for-3. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last seven games he's played dating back to last season. Bobby Dobbins also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Hancock's defeat dropped their record down to 4-3. As for Turkeyfoot Valley Area, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.

The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hancock has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Turkeyfoot Valley Area struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 14.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.

Hancock took their win against Turkeyfoot Valley Area when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 10-2 score. Do the Panthers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.