{"id":126123,"date":"2025-05-08T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/?p=126123"},"modified":"2025-05-08T12:21:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T16:21:49","slug":"blue-waves-surging-as-softball-playoffs-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2025\/05\/126123\/blue-waves-surging-as-softball-playoffs-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Waves surging as softball playoffs approach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After dominating the competition last year on route to a school-first undefeated regular season<\/a> \u2014 and with most of the team returning \u2014 a similar performance from the Riverhead softball squad seemed all but inevitable in 2025. So when they lost a pair of games early on, it was out of the ordinary, but perhaps necessary as the Blue Waves prepare for another shot at the first Suffolk County title in Riverhead softball history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the less-than-perfect record<\/a>, head coach Rich Vlacci, Jr. actually thinks this year’s squad is even stronger. The Blue Waves have been playing without their ace, Mya Marelli, <\/a>in the circle for most of the softball season. But with her slowly easing back into the pitching mix, things have quickly started to turn around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Friday\u2019s 15-1 win over William Floyd at Lincoln Ave Sports Complex, Riverhead (11-2 League I) has won six in a row and looks to be in top form as they finish out the back end of their schedule and prepare for the playoffs. Patchogue-Medford (11-3) sat at the top of the division for most of the season but dropped three games amid Riverhead\u2019s winning streak paving the way for the Blue Waves to surge into a well-deserved first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe that those losses were really key for us,\u201d Vlacci said. \u201cLast year we didn\u2019t get that chance to focus on the little aspects of our game that we needed to improve. With Mya not always being on the mountain we need to make sure that we are really focused in our positioning defensively as well as making the right plays. We\u2019ve really found our mark of late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos by Bill Landon<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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