Delaware South comes up just short in Carpenter Cup final

A young Delaware South softball team breezed through the competition at the 2025 Carpenter Cup before Tri-Cape tripped them up in the June 23 final 3-2.

Weather delayed the start of the 20th edition of the tournament that pits girls from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania against one another at FDR Park in Philadelphia.

Delaware South claimed bragging rights in the Diamond State with a 2-0 win over Delaware North in the first game June 19. Indian River’s Parker O’Shields scored the first run in the top of the fifth when Laurel’s Katy Calloway singled to left field. Sussex Tech’s Paige Krepps secured the insurance run after she stole third base and scored when Woodbridge’s Kimora Harris grounded out. Delmar’s Macy Rickards started in the circle, striking out nine over four innings, before Alexis Dennis came on for three innings of relief.

Mercer County was up next. A five-run first inning for Delaware South began with a Krepps single and a walk by Sussex Central’s Karly Kruger. Harris notched an infield single to score Krepps, then Kruger came around to score when O’Shields smoked one to second. Sussex Central’s Adeline Lutz drove in Harris and O’Shields to make it 4-0 before the first out was recorded. Lutz wrapped up the scoring by stealing home. Harris picked up another RBI when she doubled to center. Lutz stole home again in the third inning prior to Rickards driving in Cape’s Jordynn Bowe. Rickards struck out five over her three innings of relief work, while Dennis started and gave up just one run in four innings.

In the final game of pool play June 19, Delaware South trailed 2-0 before errors in the top of the fourth inning allowed Harris to slice Mid-Penn’s lead in half. The girls punished another error in the sixth when Krepps scored from second on a grounder to third base. The defense held tough for the next two frames to force extra innings. Gabriell Gianacoplis was placed on second to begin the top of the eighth inning and made her way to third base when Krepps singled. Calloway’s pop-up to second was just deep enough to allow Gianacoplis to score, putting Delaware South up 3-2. Dennis kicked off the bottom of the eighth inning with a double-play, knocking off the extra-innings ghost runner. The next batter popped up, resulting in the rare two-at-bat inning and punched Delaware South’s ticket to the quarterfinals.

Delaware South kept things rolling June 23, with a 4-3 victory over the combined counties of Berks, Lebanon and Lancaster to make the final four.

Taking on SOL/BAL out of Montgomery and Bucks County, Pa., Delaware South was locked in a defensive battle until they found themselves down 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Calloway reached on an error to start the frame and a sacrifice bunt took her from second to third. After Bowe walked, she stole second before Calloway scored on a wild pitch during Gianacoplis’ turn at the plate. Bowe came around to score when Gianacoplis lined one to left field to give Delaware South a 2-1 lead. Gianacoplis scored when O’Shields singled, expanding the advantage to 4-1. It was all the girls needed to advance to the title game.

Although Delaware South couldn’t bring home the title, losing 3-2 to Tri-Cape, the girls showed they could be a threat for the next few years in the annual tournament.

Sussex County’s contingency featured just two rising seniors in Krepps and Melvin. Bowe was one of seven rising sophomores on the team. Smyrna’s Alexis Dennis was the only Kent County player on the team, but she was one of eight rising juniors.