Riverhead softball’s playoff run ends after milestone season
Riverhead’s bid to repeat as Suffolk County softball champion ended Friday with an 11-4 loss to Comsewogue/Port Jefferson in the Section XI Class AAA bracket.
“Not the ending we wanted,” Riverhead head coach Rich Vlacci Jr. said following the loss. “But I couldn’t be more proud of this team. Through all the adversity, these girls became resilient. We ended up winning our third straight league championship, which has never been done in the school’s history.
“I have never coached a more family-oriented group. These girls truly cared for each other’s success.”
The culture Vlacci has built in the softball program has become one of the most visible success stories in Riverhead athletics. Since taking over three years ago, Riverhead has won three consecutive League I titles, captured the program’s first Suffolk County championship and broken records along the way.
Each year, players rise to new levels. When one star graduates, another emerges.
Every home game is packed. People line the sidelines, fill the stands and bring lawn chairs to sit just beyond the outfield fence. There are parents, students, little leaguers and even residents with no connection to the team other than living in Riverhead.
“This is Riverhead pride in its purest form,” John LoPresti, a father of a little leaguer, said in a Facebook post. “Three straight league championships. First time in school history. That’s not luck, that’s culture. That’s coaching. That’s a group of girls who refused to break when adversity hit… You made the town show up. You made the little girls in the stands want to wear blue and white.
“Right now, this softball program is what’s holding this town up. It gives us something real to rally around, something to be proud of when we need it most. Thanks for giving my 9-year-old daughter something to watch and look up to.”
On senior night at Stotzky Park in Riverhead, a large group of little leaguers watched from beyond the outfield fence. They played around for most of the game, but when they heard “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath — Jordyn Kwasna’s walk-up song — they all perked up and ran to grab their gloves.
There was a good chance they could catch a home run. Varsity players even spent time after the game signing autographs.
The senior captain had a historic year. Though records aren’t fully available to confirm, Kwasna’s hitting performance this season was undoubtedly one of the best to come out of Riverhead. She finished the regular season with a .684 batting average, .740 OBP, eight home runs and 53 RBIs.
Kwasna won the Suffolk County Large School Player of the Year, League I player of the year and All-County. She wasn’t the only one to bring home awards, however. Adriana Martinez earned All-County for the second year in a row.
Madison Saladino won League I Defensive Player of the Year from her catcher’s position. Saladino also earned All-Division. Sophia Viola was named All-Division.
Amber Farruggia earned All-League for her pitching and Morgan Gajowski received All-League recognition. There were nine awards in total issued to the Blue Waves.
The seniors in this group helped build the program’s current momentum. Losing them will hurt, but the culture has grown to the point where the Blue Waves expect to retool rather than rebuild.
“Two years ago, we couldn’t fathom the idea of losing our best player in Kaysee Mojo,” Vlacci Jr. said. “Last year, Mya Marelli graduated. This year, it’s going to be Jordyn and Age. We are going to keep losing big players here but we have to keep moving forward and preparing the next group up.
“We don’t want to be satisfied with what we accomplished so far. We want this to be a winning culture standard forever, no matter who is there wearing the jerseys for us. And we’re going to work like hell to make it happen.”
