Cue the Frank Sinatra!
Staten Island’s Mid-Island youth baseball team won its first Little League World Series game on Thursday by a score of 5-2.
The boys opened against Midwest Regional champ Grandview LL of Des Moines, Iowa, in the first round of the tournament. An estimated 200 people made the trip to Williamsport, Pa., from the “Forgotten Borough” to watch them play.
Mid-Island got on the board first before Iowa took the lead in the second inning.
“Marone!” proclaimed one perturbed fan in Italian, after Mid-Island got down 2-1.
By the third inning, the game was tied — and M-I ace Gregory Bruno was fanning batters left and right. The youngster struck out seven before being pulled in the fifth inning.
Mid-Island was able to score its go-ahead runs in the third and fourth inning before pitcher Derek Mendez stepped in and closed things out.
“We never trailed — ever,” said Gregory Bruno Sr., noting how his son only threw 50 pitches.
“To see them come back with such gusto was incredible,” he added. “You could see them thinking, ‘We’re not gonna let this slip away from us.'”
Since Gregory had such a low pitch count, he will still be able to play when the team takes the field again on Sunday.
“That’s gonna feel like three years from now,” his father said.
Mid-Island is now 16-0 in summer play, and has outscored opponents 163-22.
The team will advance to the second round in the winner’s bracket and will play Sunday morning at 11 a.m. against the winner of the New England-Southwest game between Rhode Island and Houston.