Lehigh Valley’s Carpenter Cup softball team took on last year’s team on June 10 at Pates Park, Allentown, where the 2025 team outscored this year’s team, 9-5.

“When Rylee Gable (Northampton) came in to pitch, the balls were wet and slippery and it’s not easy to pitch,” said head coach Brian Fehnel, referencing a steady rain that may have impacted the outcome. “With Mari Eiswerth (Emmaus), Maddison Bixler (Freedom), Rylee Gable, and Hailey George (Palmerton), I think our pitching is solid.”

Lehigh Valley’s first tournament games are scheduled for June 16, past Press deadlines, when they will play Burlington County at 8 a.m., Philadelphia Catholic/Inter A-C at 10 a.m., and Delaware County at 2 p.m., at FDR Park in Philadelphia.

“I think the hitting is good,” Fehnel said. “We had a little more power last year, but this year, we have a lineup full of good hitters.”

The 2025 team finished the tournament with a record of 2-1 with one game canceled due to inclement weather.

“They all respect each other, and they’re all good players, and it’s just a fun game to watch,” said Fehnel, regarding the 2025 versus 2026 contest. “Morgan Laub (Whitehall) threw an awesome game, so that was nice to see. She’s not playing in college, so this is the last time she’s playing on this stage.”

The 2026 championship games are scheduled for June 17.

“Since I’ve taken this over, we’ve been fortunate to have made it into the single elimination bracket,” Fehnel said. “You can’t take that for granted. You have to win at least two and sometimes three games just to get into Wednesday.”