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Little League World Series: Staten Island’s team prepares for Florida and aims for third win in a row


Little League World Series: Staten Island’s team prepares for Florida and aims for third win in a row

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Next order of business for South Shore: getting back on the map.

This is the giant Little League World Series standings, located right between Lamade and Volunteer Stadium.

At the end of each LLWS game, the winning team gets to update the standings in front of the crowd by slapping their team name in the appropriate spot. South Shore, of course, had the opportunity to do so on two consecutive days last weekend, and now the Tottenville Loop knows who they have to beat to get back in the standings.

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The Metro Region champions will face Florida in a losers bracket game at Lamade Stadium on Tuesday beginning at 7 p.m.

Florida became South Shore’s opponent after suffering a 4-1 loss to Texas in the winners’ group semifinals on Monday.

“They’re the clear favorite – at least that’s what Vegas said,” joked South Shore manager Bob Laterza shortly after the end of the Florida-Texas game. “No, we’re playing against a pretty good team.”

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As his teammates look on, South Shore’s Stephen Grippo attaches the “Metro Region” tag to the Little League World Series standings just outside Lamada Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. South Shore advanced to the standings after defeating Illinois 4-0. (Staten Island Advance/Annie De Biase)Staten Island Advance/Annie De Biase

“We’re just trying to score more runs than them (on Tuesday).”

Laterza didn’t want to commit to a starter, but with ace Stephen Grippo available and it being an elimination game, it’s safe to assume the 12-year-old All-Star with two years of experience will be on the mound against the Southeast Region winners.

The hard-throwing Grippo put in a solid effort during South Shore’s 9-1 first-round LLWS loss to Nevada last Thursday. The left-hander allowed no earned runs in three innings, giving up five hits and allowing one walk.

Grippo, who had six strikeouts against Nevada, is no stranger to big games. The left-hander threw a two-hitter in a 6-0 win over Auburn in the state championship semifinals last month, and 11 days ago he again allowed just two hits and struck out seven in five innings as SSLL surprised previously unbeaten New Jersey 5-0 in the Metro Region title game.

South Shore delivered outstanding offensive performance in its two consecutive victories, totaling 20 hits against South Dakota and Illinois, thanks to Nicky McLean and Dylan DeGaeta, who each posted a .667 batting average in three LLWS games.

Laterza’s team also showed an excellent performance on the field at the weekend and did not make a single mistake in either game.

“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” said the manager, whose team is 19-3 overall in the All-Star games this summer. “We have to keep playing every out as if it were the last.”

As for Florida, top pitcher JJ Feliciano pitched against Texas on Monday and is not eligible to pitch against South Shore. RHP Luis Calo, LHP Jacob Bibaud and RHP Lathan Norton were also on the mound against Texas, but each of those pitchers is eligible to pitch on Tuesday and it’s more than likely that one of those pitchers will start against SSLL.

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Florida, which has 15 hits in three games so far, has been led offensively by Bibaud (.500, 3 for 6) and Feliciano (.333, 2 for 6, 2-run homer).

Florida manager Jonathan Anderson hopes his troops will hit hard on Tuesday.

“You see all these teams in the losers bracket suddenly wake up and start hitting. That’s what I’m looking for,” Anderson told clickorlando.com on Monday. “I expect those bats to come to life and we’ll be ready to go when we get back to the U.S. Championship game.”

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