Baseball Game Preview: Central York Panthers vs. William Penn Bearcats

Central York is a perfect 8-0 against William Penn since April of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Central York Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the William Penn Bearcats at 4:15 p.m.

Central York is headed into their home opener looking to turn things around after starting their season on the road. They fell 7-3 to Cumberland Valley on Tuesday. The Panthers haven't had much luck with the Eagles recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Central York saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kam Holtzapple, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

Meanwhile, William Penn can bid farewell to their 15-game losing streak dating back to last season thanks to their game on Tuesday. They blew past Steelton-Highspire 18-5. The high-scoring effort was just what the Bearcats needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.

Carlos Cruz was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out six batters over two innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits (and not a single walk). Cruz was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

In other pitching news, Christopher Romero looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs off one hit.

Back at the plate, William Penn let Luis Gonzalez and Angel Vargas run wild. Gonzalez scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4, while Vargas scored three runs while going 3-for-3. Another player making a difference was Endri Reyes, who scored a run while going 1-for-2.

William Penn always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .649. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Steelton-Highspire only posted an OBP of .385.

Central York took their victory against William Penn in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 15-0. Does Central York have another victory up their sleeve, or will William Penn turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.