PHILADELPHIA - The first round of the 26th Annual Carpenter Cup began on Monday at Ashburn Field at

F.D.R. Park in Philadelphia. Team Lehigh Valley's first matchup was against Philadelphia Public at 12:30 p.m.An overall excellent pitching performance by a number of players, as well as some dynamic offense led to a 12-0 victory for Lehigh Valley, as the team is preparing to win its third Carpenter Cup title, and its first since 2001.After two errors by Philadelphia Public in the first inning that led to a run for Lehigh Valley, the bats became somewhat quiet, as it failed to score again until the fifth inning.Meanwhile it was the superb pitching that kept Philadelphia Public off the scoreboard and remain in control throughout the entire game. After Connor Casey and Seth Stoudt combined to pitch three innings, while allowing just one hit, Lehighton's Tyler Harris pitched the fourth inning while giving up just two singles.Lehigh Valley increased its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning off a solo homerun to left field by Palmerton's Christian Marcin.The pitching staff continued to impress as Matt Yanek pitched a hitless fifth inning to preserve the Lehigh Valley shutout.After a scoreless sixth inning, the Lehigh Valley offense finally came to life in the top of the seventh as they produced a five run inning.After Alex Longernecker's solo homer to right field put Lehigh Valley up 3-0, Marcin reached first base on an infield dribbler. After Pleasant Valley's Derrick Walling walked, his high school teammate Drew Borger smashed a ball to right field, looking as if another home run was about to sail out of Ashburn Field. Instead, the ball hit off the right field wall, just a couple feet from clearing the yard, and a run scored to put Lehigh Valley ahead 4-0.After two sacrifice flies that scored runs, a walk and a hit by pitch in the inning, Pat Walsche's RBI-single increased the lead to 7-0.Karl Keglovits pitched two and two-thirds innings, striking out four Philadelphia Public batters and not allowing a hit.The scoring parade continued in the ninth for Lehigh Valley, as five more runs inflated its lead to 12-0.Marcin came through once again, as he reached base on an error by Philadelphia Public and added another RBI to his total, and Walling got in on the action with a RBI-double.Marcin finished the game going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored and a walk. Walling went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while also walking once. Borger went 1-for-2 with a walk, while recording one run and a RBI.Jake Kern was the lone Northern Lehigh player to participate in the event, and finished the game going 1-for-3, while reaching on an error in the first inning.Lehighton pitchers Tyler Harris and Tyler Hill combined to pitch one and one-third innings, allowing a combined two hits and two walks.A combination of this magnitude will be tough to overcome for Lehigh Valley opponents in the future.On the offensive end, Lehigh Valley scored their 12 runs on 12 hits, and the pitching was brilliant, allowing just four hits and three walks over nine innings of play.Lehigh Valley will now return home, with their eyes set on capturing another Carpenter Cup title. Their next game will be played at Coca-Cola Park, a little closer than the drive to Philadelphia, and it will feel good to be playing closer to home.Lehigh Valley will next face Olympic Colonial this Friday at 10:30 a.m.L. Vy. 100 010 505 -12 12 1Public 000 000 000 -0 4 3Casey, Stoudt (3), Harris (4), Yanek (5), Keglovits (6), Hill ()8), Simpkins (9) and Pacchioli, Kramer. Ashbridge, Vahedi (5), Pagan (6), Gonzalez (7), Raia (8), Coles (9), Fitzgerald (9) and Blancon, Alvardo.