Chester County Takes Carpenter Cup Win

PHILADELPHIA - The Carpenter Cup, sponsored and ran by the Philadelphia Phillies, was held at Ashburn Park Monday night and Chester County softball won the game.

Phoenixville’s Courtney Wieland has continued what has been a whirlwind of a spring including being crowned Dogwood Festival Queen, joining teammates Brittany Shoemaker (junior, Perkiomen Valley) and Patsy Murphy (Pope John Paul II), fresh off of the Golden Panthers first district title, to compete for the most elite trophy in the area.

 “This is awesome just being here,” said Pottsgrove junior Taylor Robinson. “The Carpenter Cup is such a big deal. We play in tournaments all the time in travel ball, but nothing compares to this. It was been amazing getting to know girls that usually we are trying to beat.”

Robinson (2-for-2, 2 R, 2B) helped propel the Chester County squad to a 9-3 win over the 2009 champion, Delaware South All Stars to advance into the winners' bracket semifinal for Group A, which included teams from Tri-Cape (NJ), Philadelphia Catholic League, Delaware North (DE), Suburban One American/Continental, Olympic/Colonial (NJ) and Jersey Shore (NJ).

“It’s definitely different playing with girls from all of these teams,” said Wieland, who went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. “I am hoping to do what ever I can to help us win, I may get to pitch, and may not. I know I can offer a lot of qualities that schools are looking for, in the field and with the bat. I felt really good in my first at bat.”

It was Wieland stretching to make play after play at first base and Shoemaker’s range in the outfileld that helped preserve the win for the Chester County team advancing them in the winner’s bracket.

“Of course as we were getting ready, I was a little nervous,” said Murphy. “It has been great to get to catch all of these pitchers. This is such a great opportunity. We have to realx and be ready to play to our potential. With the tryouts and practices, we have all worked hard to get ready, but once we take the field it ‘s time to show what we can do as individuals and a team.”

The Chester County squad battled TriCape in the second round but dropped a tough 5-4 contest, which puts the locals in the 9 a.m. slot on Wednesday morning in the shadows of Citizen’s Bank Park. They will square off against Philadelphia Catholic League, which dropped its second round game to Suburban One League A&C, 5-0.

“I think we have all learned a lot from each other so far,” said Shoemaker. “It took a little while to get over the whole, them versus us thing but, we have really come together. We have some very tough games coming up and will have to stay focussed on what we have to do, no matter how many coaches are here. We have to go all out, every game.”