Riverhead baseball has had a bit of a dry run in recent years when it comes to putting together a successful season from start to finish, but this year it all clicked. Whether it was timely hitting, spot-on pitching or excellent defense, Riverhead just seemed to get it done. The Blue Waves haven’t been in the playoffs since 2008 and haven’t won a playoff game since 2004. With one streak snapped, they’ll chase another as they matchup against No. 10 Half Hollow Hills East in the qualifying round of the AA bracket on Saturday.
No. 13 Riverhead (11-7 League IV, 12-8 overall) will send Kenny Simco to the hill for a noon first pitch at Half Hollow Hills East High School. Hills East (13-7 League III) will most likely send their number one pitcher to the mound, Brandon Bonomo, who’s tallied five wins on the season.
“Their number one is very good,” Riverhead head coach Rob Maccone said. “But we feel like we can stay with them.”
A win would put the Blue Waves in the next round against either No. 16 Bellport or No. 7 Sachem East.
Riverhead softball in Jeff Doroski’s second season as coach, has bounced back after an off year and earned the No. 18 seed in the AA bracket. Because they’re one of the lower seeds in the tournament, they’ll need to win an outbracket game in order to play in the first round on Monday.
Riverhead (11-9 League II) will travel to No. 15 Half Hollow Hills West (9-9 League III) on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 4pm. The Blue Waves will need contributions from top to bottom in the lineup for them to come out on top. They haven’t been hitting the ball as well as of late but there’s no better time to break out than in the playoffs.
McGann-Mercy softball has made the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Monarchs (9-7 League VI) got the No. 4 seed in the B bracket which pins them against No. 1 Center Moriches. They’ll travel to Center Moriches on Thursday May 21 for a 4pm first pitch. Nobody has beat Center Moriches this season. They finished with a 16-0 record in the league and 20-0 overall.
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