Players on Lehigh Valley’s Carpenter Cup softball team put their high school seasons behind them and looked forward to a new kind of chemistry in preparation for the Carpenter Cup Softball Classic, a tournament sponsored by the Philadelphia Phillies, which started on Monday.

Whitehall sophomore Jessica Spanitz and juniors Mackenzie Laub and Lennon Dreisbach are three of the 15 players from District XI who hope to bring the Carpenter Cup home to the Lehigh Valley by week’s end.

“We had a practice [last] Monday, and there was no mention of our [high school] season. It was just nice to get to know each other better,” said Laub. “We’re all smart softball players.”

Lehigh Valley, coached by Whitehall coach Blake Morgan, was scheduled to play three games this past Monday at FDR Park in Philadelphia.

“All of us play tournament softball and have long days, but I’m sure it will be fun,” Laub said. “We have to be prepared for seven innings or how ever long the game will be.”

Laub and some of her Lehigh Valley teammates read about tryouts in the newspaper, which happened to coincide with high school season playoffs.

“Some of us weren’t able to participate, but I went and talked with the coaches and hung out with the girls,” said Laub. “Last year I was crushed we couldn’t play [because of COVID], and now it feels absolutely amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing how we can play.”