Staten Island kids baseball squad falls in Little League World Series debut

It was a memorable day for a group of youngsters from Staten Island.

South Shore Little League from Staten Island made its Little League World Series debut in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The team represented the Metro region, and is facing the Mountain Region squad from Nevada on Thursday.

The game kicked off at 3 p.m. on ESPN.

Meanwhile, a watch party was being held to root the team on in at "Fast Break" in Tottenville.

Baseball parents and little leaguers gathered in excitement to watch the pride of their borough on the big screen, competing more than 200 miles away in Williamsport.

Little leaguer AJ Eugenio is watching his friends on TV. Just a year younger, Eugenio looks up to the team.

"I'm really proud of them and excited for them because we look up to them as coaches and they're like our best friends," he said.

Mayor Eric Adams relayed the city's vote of confidence, calling their Little League World Series run "really impressive."

After going 17-2 this summer, the team's morale is already high.

"They're floating, they're ecstatic. And - you know we try to keep down to earth because we got some games to play - but they're having the time of their life," said head coach Bob Laterza.

It took Coach Bob 32 years to get here, and while this is Little League, it's no little challenge.

The decades-old summer tournament features 20 teams from across the country, and the world.

But South Shore has a whole borough in their corner.

Going pro is a dream few can realistically achieve, but no dream is too big for a Staten Island kid in the Little League World Series.

"It's great for the community, for the borough," spectator Michael Mancusi said. "Very proud to be a Staten Islander, very proud."

South Shore lost to Paseo Verde, a team from Nevada, in game one. The loss puts them in an elimination bracket to play again Saturday.

Historically, this is South Shore's fourth appearance in Little League World Series.

Mayor Adams says 1964 was the last time a New York team won the whole tournament, and it was a team from Staten Island.

Mid Island Little League, also from Staten Island, made it to the Little League World Series in 2018, but was eliminated.

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