The Carpenter Cup softball tournament was supposed to end on June 25. However, excessive rain and a sponge-like field at FDR Park pushed the final to June 30.

Which interfered with the plans of at least one head coach, who had to leave for a scheduled vacation and pass the reins to an assistant.

That assistant, Ryan Pickett, led Delaware South to the championship.

BILL IEZZI

The play was fairly crisp for an all-star game but more importantly the stands were once again packed for the Adam Taliaferro Football Classic at Rowan University.

Proceeds from this game that consisted of many of South Jersey's top senior, went toward the Adam Taliaferro Foundation.

This foundation began in 2001 and has helped others with spinal injuries. Since forming, the foundation has raised more than $300,000.

That total, of course doesn't include what this year's game raised. The football game is the foundation's biggest fund raiser.

The White team beat the Blue 30-18. as Haddon Heights defensive back Chris Roundtree scored on an 11-yard fumble and also prevented a touchdown late in the first half with an end zone deflection. Roundtree is a Ursinus recruit.

This has become an annual tradition in South Jersey, one that showcases athletic talent and a great spirit of giving by the many volunteers.

Anybody interested in making a donation to the foundation, can send checks to:

The Adam Taliaferro Foundation

P.O. Box 8232

Turnersville, NJ  08012

Some of South Jersey's top seniors will be playing their final game in tonight's Adam Taliaferro All-Star Football Classic at Rowan University.

Proceeds go toward the Adam Taliaferro Fun, which goes toward helping others with spinal injuries. Since forming in 2001, the foundation has raised more than $300,000.

Game time is 7 p.m. and in addition to seeing great football, it's always inspiring to catch up with Taliaferro, now a lawyer, who has been a driving force in helping raise funds and awareness for spinal injuries.

One player we think could be a true standout tonight is Glassboro WR-DE Ricky Tunstall, a University of Delaware recruit who is also a major threat as a return man.

Tunstall is competing on the White Roster, which includes players from Camden, Gloucester and Salem County.

The Blue Roster consists of players from Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May and Cumberland counties.

Atlantic City WR Leavander Jones, who is headed to James Madison, is among the many big-play performers for the Blue team.

The grass at sprawling FDR Park, Broad and Pattison Aves., was super soggy Monday afternoon when I stopped by fields 5 and 6 to catch a little Carpenter Cup softball action with a friend.

But no one was there. Puddles of water near the pitchers' circle told the story. The fields had absorbed so much rain that the opening games had to be pushed back.

An elderly golfer we encountered at the site's 18-hole course said the entire park is below sea level. 

BILL IEZZI

Carpenter Cup Championship

Burlington County 2, Suburban One League National/Bicentennial Athletic League 1

SOL N/B                   000 001 000 – 1 7 6

Burlington County    000 001 10x – 2 7 1

WP: Dan Koneschusky. LP: Jacob Ruch. Save: James Coughlin. 2B: B-Tyler Powell, Eric Barbieri; S-Eric Ebert, Brian Beyer

Burlington County wins its second Carpenter Cup title, with the first in 2006.

Seneca Jr. LHP James Coughlin earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Burlington County took a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning on an unearned run. With two outs Riverside's Marc Mount reached base on an error, scoring Maple Shade's C.J. Szymczak.

Burlington County first baseman Eric Barbieri of Cherokee tied the score with an RBI single in the sixth. 

An RBI double by SOL N/B's Eric Ebert of Council Rock South broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning. The run was unearned.

Sr. RHP Scott Runzer of Council Rock North got out of a jam in the fourth for SOL N/B. With runners on second and third and one out, Runzer recorded consecutive strikeouts to end the inning.

Sr. RHP Christian Rahman of Maple Shade has pitched two scoreless innings for Burlington County.

Sophomore LPH Greg Welsh of Council Rock South threw two scoreless innings for SOL N/B.

Seneca sophomore RHP Kevin Comer pitched three scoreless innings for Burlington County. Comer allowed one run in eight Carpenter Cup innings.

Carpenter Cup Semifinal - Philadelphia Catholic League vs. Suburban One League National/Bicentennial Athletic League at Citizens Bank Park.

Catholic League 000 110 000 – 2 4 1

SOL Nat/BAL    030 000 00x – 3 5 0

WP: Jacob Ruch. LP Kevin Gillen. Save: Andrew Strenge. 2B: CL-Mark Donato; SOL-Billy Fleming, Kelly Adams, Johnny Schiotis. 3B: CL-Tyler Freeman.

Suburban One League National/Bicentennial Athletic League will meet Burlington County in the Carpenter Cup championship, 10 a.m. on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park.

Holy Ghost Prep senior RHP Andrew Strenge earned the save with two shutout innings. He struck out the side in the ninth.

Archbishop Wood junior CF Brian O'Grady continues to impress in the Carpenter Cup. O'Grady hit an RBI single to RF to cut the SOL Nat/BAL's lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning. 

An RBI triple by LaSalle's Tyler Freeman in the fourth inning for the Catholic League, cut the deficit to 3-1 against SOL Nat/BAL.

A two-out RBI infield single by junior Pat Traczykiewicz opened the scoring for SOL Nat/BAL. That was folowed by a two-run double by Council Rock South sophomore Billy Fleming.

Abington junior RHP Jacob Ruch pitched three scorless innings for SOL Nat/BAL. He allowed two hits and got five ground ball outs.

Carpenter Cup Semifinal - Burlington County vs. Suburban One League American/Continental at Citizens Bank Park

FINAL Burlington County 14, SOL A/C 9. 

Burlington County will meet SOL National/BAL in Wednesday's 10 a.m. championship at Citizens Bank Park

Burlington County   161 031 020 – 14 15 4

SOL A/C                000 001 008 – 9 18 4

WP: Jim Goodwin. LP: Keith Moyer. 2B: B-Marc Mount Eric Sellitto, Jamie Kunz-Hulholland 2, Troy Foster; S-Todd Rubendall. 3B: B-Troy Foster. HR: B-Tyler Powell

SOL A/C scored eight runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the bases loaded before Burlco got the final out. Only three of SOL A/C's runs were earned.

Delran RHP Jim Goodwin pitched three shutout innings for Burlington County, allowing three singles.

Cinnaminson RHP Trevor Sotell allowed allowed one run in three innings for Burlington County.

Burlington County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Seneca senior shortstop Shaun Flynn.

Cherokee junior Tyler Powell hit a towering home run to leftfield to extend Burlington County's lead to 2-0 in the second inning. Powell's Cherokee teammate Eric Barbieri added a two-run single. Burlington County also scored three unearned runs.

Burlington went up 8-0 on an unearned run in the third inning.

In the fifth, Burlington scored three more runs on two-run triple by Seneca senior Troy Foster and and RBI single by Cinnaminson's Matt Cann. 

Burlco added an unearned run in the sixth.

SOL A/C scored in the sixth on an RBI single by Pennridge sophomore Dylan Tice.

Carpenter Cup quarterfinal baseball game Jersey Shore vs. Burlington County at the University of Pennsylvania's Meklejohn Stadium.

Burlington County will play Suburban One League American/Continental in Tuesday's 10 a.m. semifinal at Citizens Bank Park.

Lenape's Jamie Kunz-Mulholland had an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to increase Burlco's lead to 10-5.

Burlington went up 9-5 on a fielders choice RBI by Shawnee junior first baseman Eric Sellitto in the sixth inning.

Jersey Shore receive an RBI single from Neptune's Blake Young-Park and an RBI double by Steve Talbott of Freehold Township in the top of the sixth inning.

Burlington County extended the lead to 8-3 with two runs in the fifth inning. Lenape's Ryan Fletcher hit an RBI double and scored on an error.  

Jersey Shore's Talbott hit a solo HR to leftfield in the top of the fifth inning. 

Burlco scored an unearned run in the fourth inning. 

Jersey Shore scored in the fourth inning on an RBI double by junior Brian Solomen of Jackson.

Seneca sophomore RHP Kevin Comer pitched the first three innings for Burlington County. 

Cherokee's Shane Lynch broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run single in Burlington County's four-run second inning. His Cherokee teammate Eric Barbieri also had an RBI single that inning.

Burlington County took a 1-0 first inning lead on an RBI double by Cinnaminson's Matt Cann.

Jersey Shore tied it in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Jake Beim of Red Bank Catholic.

Due to the inclement weather Saturday's Carpenter Cup quarterfinal between Jersey Shore and Burlington County has been postponed until 10 a.m. Monday at the University of Pennsylvania's Meiklejohn Stadium.

The other three quarterfinal games have been played.

The winner of Monday's game will play in Tuesday's 10 a.m. semifinal at Citizens Bank Park against the Suburban One League American and Continental.

GAME 3: Carpenter Cup Quarterfinal - Suburban One League American/Continental vs. Tri-Cape at the University of Pennsylvania Meiklejohn Stadium. 

SOL AM/Con 13, Tri-Cape 12 FINAL

SOL AM/CON 420 020 103 01 - 13 18 2

Tri-Cape 240 102 003 00 - 12 13 4

SOL AM/CON took a 13-12 lead on an RBI single in the 11th by Methacton's Mark Romano.

Tri-Cape tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the ninth on a bases loaded walk and a two-run error, both with two outs.

SOL AM/CON broke a 9-9 tie with an RBI double by Pennridge's Dylan Tice. An RBI single by Methacton's Nick Sun made it 11-9. The 12th run was unearned.

SOL AM/CON tied the score 9-9 on a solo home run by Methacton's Mark Roman in the seventh inning.

Tri-Cape tied the score 8-8 on an RBI single by junior E.J. Stolzfus of Holy Spirit agalbuto of St. Joseph scored on an error woiith no outs.

SOL AM/CON took an 8-7 lead on an RBI double by Central Buck South's Joe Mullin and a sacrifice fly by Quakertown's Kurt Roberts in the top of the fifth inning  

Vineland's Juan Velazquez hit his second home run of the game in the fourth inning to give the Tri-Cape a 7-6 lead

Tri-Cape received a two-run double by Vineland's Anthony Parker and a two-run single by Woodstown's Andrew Lawrence in the second inning. 

SOL AM/CON scored two unearned runs in the top of the second. 

Velazquez crushed a two-run home run for Tri-Cape in the first inning to cut SOL AM/Con's lead to 4-2. It is Velazquez's second home run of this tournament.

Velazquez has also thrown out four attempted base stealers.

SOL AM/CON scored four runs in the top of the first inning. North Penn's Justin Davey tripled and scored on a wild pitch.

There were also three RBI singles by North Penn's Matt Albaugh, Central Buck South's Joe Mullin and Upper Dublin's Rob Swartz.

 GAME 2: Carpenter Cup Quarterfinal - Suburban One League National/Bicentennial Athletic League vs. Lehigh Valley.

SOL/BAL 5, Lehigh Valley 4 FINAL

Lehigh Valley 100 030 000 - 4 8 4

SOL/BAL 100 110 02x - 5 7 0

WP: Andrew Stenge. LP: Mike Glassic. HR: L-Tyler Brong; SOL/BAL-Ryan Seiz.

Defending champion Suburban One National/Bicentennial Athletic League advanced to Tuesday's semifinal against the Philadelphia Catholic League after its 5-4 quarterfinal win over Lehigh Valley

SOL/BAL took the lead on a two-run home run to rightfield by Christopher Dock junior Ryan Seiz in the bottom of the eighth inning. SOL/BAL is still batting.

Seiz is the same player who hit a walk-off home run as the SOL/BAL beat this same Lehigh Valley team, 7-6 in the Carpenter Cup championship.

SOL/BAL got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a bases loaded walk to Delco Christian junior Nick Mascioli.

Lehigh Valley junior Tyler Brong from Liberty hit a a three-run home run to give his team a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth 

Neshaminy's Tyler Orr had an RBI single in the fourth inning to put SOL/BAL in front, 2-1. 

 Lehigh Valley received an RBI single from Drew Hercik. SOL/BAL scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first.

GAME 1: Carpenter Cup Quarterfinal - Philadelphia Catholic League vs. Mercer County at the University of Pennsylvania's Meiklejohn Stadium.

Catholic League  204 101 030 – 11 11 2

Mercer County    000 010 341 -  9 16 3

WP: Kevin Gillen. LP: Kyle Reed. 2B: CL-Albert Baur, Joey Armata, Kyle McCrossen; MC-Matt Chotkowski 2, Mark Kalokitis, Nick Zucchero. HR: CL-Mark Donato 2.

Neumann-Goretti junior first baseman Mark Donato hit two home runs for the Catholic League. He was 2 for 3 with three RBIs.

RHP Kevin Gillen of St. Joseph Prep started for the Catholic League and pitched two shutout innings. He has now pitched five scoreless innings in two games, winning both.

The Catholic League advances to Tuesday's 2 p.m. semifinal at Citizens Bank Park against the SOL National/Bicentennial