The new format of the Carpenter Cup Softball Tournament in which Lehigh Valley won its first game but lost the next two had its pros and cons for the hometown team last week.

“Going in, you try not to have preconceived notions,” said Lehigh Valley head coach Blake Morgan. “The benefit is that the girls play their games all in a row, but it takes away from the time they spend together.”

In the past, the Carpenter Cup was a double-elimination tournament played over four days.

“There was no downtime,” Morgan said. “You lose that because you play two games, hurry and eat, and play again. For some people, it’s a good trade, but part of the experience of Carpenter Cup is the team bonding.”

Whitehall first baseman Lindsay Gawrys had two hits, and shortstop Abbey Reese had a two-run triple in Lehigh Valley’s first game.

“We were all trying to get the timing down for the pitcher, and we were communicating what pitches we were getting,” Reese said. “In the first game, we saw slower pitching, and when we tried to adjust to the faster speeds our bats weren’t as good as they were in the first game.”

Overall, Reese said it was a great experience, and Morgan agreed.

“The last two games, we couldn’t string hits together, and we faced really good pitchers. Madi [Cunningham] was robbed of two hits on really good defensive plays, and we had some errors that helped them,” said Morgan. “But we hit the ball hard, and that’s just a credit to the girls. Still, to play for your community and represent the Lehigh Valley is what’s important.”