Lehigh Valley

READING - Mike Spidale's eighth-inning home run helped the Reading Phillies edge the Richmond Flying Squirrels, 4-3, Saturday in the Eastern League. Matthew Rizzotti and Tagg Bozied also homered for Reading. Sergio Escalona earned his first win of the season, and John Ennis got the save. Ennis was sent to Reading from Lehigh Valley on Saturday. Buffalo 4, Lehigh Valley 1 ALLENTOWN - Melvin Dorta's home run was all the offense the IronPigs could muster in a loss to the Bisons in the International League.

READING - Mike Spidale capped a five-run fifth inning with a three-run homer to lead the Reading Phillies over the Trenton Thunder, 11-3, in Eastern League play last night. Javon Moran and Mike Eylward each drove in two runs for Reading. Pawtucket 3, Lehigh Valley 2 ALLENTOWN - Pawtucket scored one run each in the eighth and ninth innings for a come-from-behind win over the IronPigs. Pawtucket's Jeff Bailey drove home the go-ahead run in the ninth on a single off of Lehigh Valley's closer, Jason Anderson.

ALTOONA, Pa. - The Reading Phillies' Alex Concepcion and Pat Overholt combined on a one-hit shutout for a 5-0 victory in the second game and a doubleheader sweep of the Altoona Curve last night in the Eastern League. The Phillies took the opener, 5-3. Quintin Berry hit a two-run single in the top of the sixth. Durham 5, Lehigh Valley 4 ALLENTOWN - Chris Richard's two-run homer in the top of the ninth sent the Bulls past the IronPigs in the International League. David Newhan and Lou Marson homered for Lehigh Valley.

26th annual Carpenter Cup Classic SEMIFINALS Today At Citizens Bank Park: Tri-Cape vs. Lehigh Valley, 9:30 a.m.; Burlington County vs. Catholic League, 1 p.m. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Tomorrow At Citizens Bank Park: Semifinal winners, 10 a.m.  

The all-star team representing the Suburban One League's American and Continental Conferences battled 11 innings yesterday before defeating Burlington County, 7-6, at Penn's Meiklejohn Stadium to reach the semifinals of the Carpenter Cup. In the other semifinal, Lehigh Valley used a seven-run seventh inning to knock off Jersey Shore, 8-3. Suburban One American/Continental will take on Lehigh Valley on June 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Citizens Bank...

Nick Bateman had two hits and matched teammate Jay Farrell with two runs batted in, leading the Inter-Ac/Independents all-stars to a 12-11 victory over Delaware South in the first round of the 27th annual Carpenter Cup Classic at Ashburn Field on Monday. Inter-Ac/Independents, who will face Lehigh Valley at 9 a.m. Friday in the quarterfinals, built a 7-0 lead before Delaware South rallied with six runs in the fifth inning and another in the sixth to tie the score. Down by 10-9 in the eighth inning, Inter-Ac/Independents took the lead for good when Mike DeMatteis singled in the tying run, and Jay Farrell followed with the game-winning two-run single.

In a game of giveaway, Tri-Cape proved more generous than Lehigh Valley. That was a big problem for the South Jersey team in the semifinals of the Carpenter Cup Classic Monday at Citizen Bank Park. With their fielders committing six errors, their pitchers issuing eight free passes and their hitters stranding 14 runners, Tri-Cape dropped a 9-6 decision to Lehigh Valley. "We gave them some runs, and they were very kind to give us even more back," Lehigh Valley manager Ted Plessl said after his team advanced to face Burlington County, a winner over the Philadelphia Catholic League in Monday's other semifinal, in Tuesday morning's championship game.

Gina Falcone had one thought yesterday as she strode to the batter's box. "I was thinking, 'I don't want to have to play another game,' " Falcone said. "It was too hot. " So the Monmouth Regional junior took matters into her own hands. Falcone swung at the first pitch and drove in the winning runs as Jersey Shore rallied and conquered defending champion Lehigh Valley, 6-5, to win its first Carpenter Cup Classic softball title at FDR Park. Trailing, 4-2, entering the bottom of the sixth, Jersey Shore erupted for four runs with two outs.