Mixed emotions for South Jersey teams in the Carpenter Cup softball tournament

For the three softball teams in this year’s Carpenter Cup tournament, it was a mixed bag of success and for one franchise, a bittersweet ending.

Three teams from the seven-county South Jersey area compete in this 16-team single-elimination tournament that consists of the top high school All-Star teams from the tri-state area.

Those three are Burlington County, the Olympic-Colonial (consisting of the Olympic and Colonial Conferences) and Tri-Cape (from the Tri-County Conference and Cape Atlantic League).

Unlike in baseball where all grades are eligible to play, the softball tournament only allows freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

The game was played at FDR Park and teams were placed in four-team brackets, where the top two in each bracket advanced to the single-elimination portion.

Each franchise was guaranteed a minimum of three games. Tri-Cape was in a bracket that included Mercer County, Jersey Shore and the Inter-Ac from Pennsylvania.

After an opening 6-4 win over Mercer County, Tri-Cape then beat the Inter-Ac, 15-1 and Jersey Shore, 6-3.

In the win over Mercer County, Cedar Creek sophomore Liz Martin earned the win, allowing two runs (one made) in four innings of relief. She also struck out eight. (Carpenter Cup rules allowed a pitcher to throw a maximum of four innings per game).

Catie Melchiorre, a junior from Schalick, went 2 for 2 with an RBI to lead the offense.

Junior Gianna Dougherty of Delsea earned the win against Inter-Ac, allowing one run, which was unearned in three innings. Timber Creek junior Julianna Coluccio hit an inside-the-park home run and added four RBI.

The most impressive win was over Jersey Shore, a team that would advance to the championship game. Martin earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. She also struck out seven.

Coluccio was 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI, while GCIT sophomore Aubrey Miller was 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI. Williamstown junior Mia Owens was 1 for 2 with 2 RBI.

Then came the bittersweet spot. Despite going 3-0 and advancing, Tri-Cape’s run to the title ended because of health and safety protocols.

Burlington County was in a difficult bracket that included defending champion Delaware South, along with Delaware North and the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Even though Burlington County was eliminated after going 0-3, all of the games were competitive. Burlington County lost, 4-3 to the Catholic League, 5-1 to Delaware North and 2-0 to Delaware South.

The Olympic-Colonial looked like it had a chance to go far after a successful first day.

The first game was the most impressive, a 7-0 win over eventual champion Mid-Penn of Pennsylvania. Haddon Heights freshman Sophia Bordi earned the win with four shutout innings. 

She allowed one hit and struck out seven. Gloucester junior Hannah Bryszewski went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a RBI, while Eastern junior Alexis Rosano was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

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Author: Marc Narducci