Softball: Blue Waves open playoffs at home vs. Smithtown West
The Riverhead softball team will open the Class AA playoffs Monday with a home game against Smithtown West. The Blue Waves were seeded eighth in the bracket after finishing the season 15-5 overall. The Bulls are seeded ninth, according to the brackets released Friday afternoon by Section XI.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The winner of Monday’s game will most likely have to face top-seeded Bay Shore in the next round. Bay Shore will play the winner of No. 16 Kings Park and No. 17 Centereach.
Smithtown West went 13-6 in League III. Riverhead lost to Smithtown West April 16, 5-4.
The Blue Waves ended the season winning six of their final seven games to finish one game behind both Hauppauge and Half Hollow Hills West for first place. Four of those wins were by one run.
The playoff bracket becomes double elimination starting in the semifinals. So the Blue Waves would need to win two games to reach the double elimination part of the bracket.
In Class A Shoreham-Wading River was seeded fifth and will open the playoffs Tuesday against rival Sayville, the fourth seed. The Golden Flashes have ended the Wildcats’ season in the playoffs each of the past two years. The Wildcats opened the regular season this year against Sayville and lost 7-2.
The Wildcats finished 16-2 overall, but did not receive a higher seed after playing in League VII. Two Class A playoff teams were in League V and three others played in League VI.
If the Wildcats win they would advance to play top-seeded Miller Place May 23.
