The Central York Panthers will take on the Penn Manor Comets at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Central York has three straight wins, Penn Manor has five straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Central York is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Pennsylvania's top teams: Lampeter-Strasburg, who was ranked 14th at the time (Central York was ranked 22nd). Central York blew past Lampeter-Strasburg 13-6 on Tuesday. Considering the Panthers have won three games by more than six runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Central York let Brooklyn Shaffer and Katie Gable run wild. Shaffer scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-5, while Gable went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs. What's more, Shaffer posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Ellie Lamer, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
They weren't the only ones working in the hit department: Central York kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Penn Manor fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Twin Valley on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 3-2. That's two games in a row now that the Comets have lost by just one run.
Juleigh Bowmaster spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits and racked up six Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than one walk any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, Mia Skiadas was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Riley Frank, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Penn Manor's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Central York, their victory bumped their record up to 4-2.
Central York's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's game. Central York has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Penn Manor, though, as they've been averaging only 0.7 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Central York continue to outrun the ball?
Everything went Central York's way against Penn Manor in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as Central York made off with a 12-1 win. Will Central York repeat their success, or does Penn Manor has a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
