Staten Island hopes late start keeps Little League World Series run rolling

Is there any extra pressure for Staten Island South Shore Little League under the bright lights of Williamsport? 

“We love night games,” Staten Island manager Bob Laterza said looking ahead to Tuesday after their win over Hinsdale, Ill. “If we could move that to 9 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. we’d be very appreciative. We love night games. We’re a night team.” 

If those words ring true then Staten Island would be headed into Tuesday’s Little League World Series matchup against Boerne, Texas, which lost 4-1 on Monday night to Lake Mary, Florida in the Winner’s Bracket, with a bit of an advantage since the game is slated for 7 p.m.

The Staten Islanders have quickly made up for a tough start to this year’s tournament — a 9-1 loss to Henderson, Nev., in the winner’s bracket — by taking two win-or-go-home games over the weekend to keep the hopes of New York City alive in Williamsport. 

After mustering just one run in the first game, Staten Island rattled off a combined 10 runs over the weekend in games against South Dakota and Illinois, with the team’s offense coming alive in the fourth inning on Saturday and Sunday. 

Staten Island scored four runs in the fourth in Saturday’s win to help erase a 1-0 deficit and broke a scoreless tie early in the same inning on Sunday morning.

It’s become a recurring theme for the offense that they’ve taken one turn through the lineup before really getting going. 

“I’d like to do that on the first at-bat and the second at-bat, we’d be a lot better off,” Laterza said. “But they gotta get a little bit of time to get moving these guys. Especially 9 o’clock in the morning games.” 

Vincent Ruggiero and Jake Romero have given Staten Island back-to-back impressive performances on the mound, allowing a combined three runs over the last two games. 

Offensively the Staten Island team has gotten big hits out of several players, with both Dylan DeGaeta and Nicholas McLean hitting a team-best .667 through the first three games of the tournament. Both players have had four hits over six at-bats since the Little League World Series began last week. 

“It’s that the pitchers aren’t throwing as hard as they were in states,” DeGaeta said on Sunday regarding his success at the plate. “I can see the ball better and I’ve been hitting curveballs really well recently. Two of my four hits were off curveballs. I think I’m just smashing the curveballs right now.” 

Laterza, who called DeGaeta “The Gata” after Sunday’s win, simply said that it was “his time” and that DeGaeta had “been a slugger all along.” 

“He gives me hits when I need them,” the Staten Island manager said. “He digs in and more important than batting average, which is up there anyway, he gives me timely hits when I need them most.’’ 

Staten Island had a day off on Monday after playing back-to-back games over the weekend and taking in the Little League Classic on Sunday night between the Yankees and Tigers.