Softball: Blue Waves show no mercy in season opener

If one Casey doesn’t get you, then the other Kacie will.

They might have different ways to spell their names, but they wound up making major impacts in Riverhead’s 18-0 season-opening win over Huntington in girls softball in Riverhead Tuesday afternoon.

Casey Plitt, a junior righthander, was magnificent. She limited the Blue Devils to four hits while striking out three and walking none as the Blue Waves were awarded the game after five innings because of the mercy rule. Plitt also helped her cause as she was on base three times, including two hits and two runs batted in.

Leftfielder Kacie Dilworth, an eighth-grader making her varsity debut, did not show Huntington much mercy herself. She went 3 for 4 with a single, double and triple, drove in four runs and scored three times in a game played in 47-degree temperature and in a 37-degree wind chill.

Second baseman and leadoff hitter Jess Freeborn finished with two hits and two RBI. Centerfielder Emily Bazarewski added a bases-loaded triple in the fourth inning.

The Blue Waves scored runs in every inning, setting the tone with seven runs in the bottom of the first. Rightfielder Ashley Columbus capped the rally with a two-run single.

Riverhead will play at West Islip on Wednesday.

Photo caption: Kacie Dilworth, an eighth-grader making her varsity debut, went 3 for 4, drove in four runs and scored three times herself for Riverhead in its season-opening win over Huntington. (Credit: Garret Meade)