Sports

Softball: Tuckers held to one hit by Center Moriches

Mattituck shortstop Ashley Chew makes a throw from her knee during Tuesday's game in Center Moriches. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)
Mattituck shortstop Ashley Chew makes a throw from her knee during Tuesday’s game in Center Moriches. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

RED DEVILS 20, TUCKERS 0 (5 INNINGS)

Looking for the secret to the undefeated Center Moriches High School softball team’s success? Mattituck can tell you, based on firsthand knowledge, what it is. Center Moriches doesn’t give its opponents much, if anything. Walks? Don’t count on them. Errors? Not likely with a defense that acts like a vacuum cleaner.

Anything opponents get off the Red Devils is probably going to have to be earned, and that’s a lot easier said than done.

Center Moriches allowed no walks and committed no errors on Tuesday. Mattituck managed only one off pitcher Kylie Castellano. As if that wasn’t enough, Center Moriches banged out 18 hits, topping things off with nine runs in a fourth inning that saw the Red Devils make 16 plate appearances. Three out later, Center Moriches had its 11th win from as many games, a 20-0 blowout in a game halted in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule. It was a merciful ending to a Suffolk County League VI game that wasn’t pretty.

Castellano (5-0), a left-hander in her first varsity season, appeared to have no-hit stuff and she came close to pitching a no-no. After retiring the first 10 batters she faced, Castellano finally yielded a hit when Lisa Angell sprayed a one-out single that fell in shallow right field.

Castellano had four strikeouts.

Caroline Casey, moved up from the No. 3 spot to leadoff in the Center Moriches order, responded by delivering four singles, scoring four runs and driving in another two. Alexa Andersen drove in five runs from three singles, Erin Creen had three runs batted in and Erin Copozzi doubled in two runs herself. Altogether, nine Red Devils had at least one hit; five had two or more.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Tuckers (2-5, 2-5) didn’t help their cause by committing five errors.

The difference between the teams was stark and perhaps to be expected. While Mattituck has a young, inexperienced team, Center Moriches returns seven starters from its team that reached the New York State Class B semifinals last year.

Mattituck’s assistant coach, Kim Gerstung, ran the team in place of coach Kelly Pickering. Gerstung said Pickering could not be at the game because she was teaching a class.

[email protected]