After winning more than a dozen consecutive games to qualify for the Little League World Series while not trailing all summer, a Staten Island Little League team found itself down in the big dance Thursday, maybe feeling the nerves.

Then the club took advantage of shaky defense to remind people how it earned its place among the elite.

Gregory Bruno scored the tying run while pitching 2.2 shutout innings, and first baseman John Calabrese collected a hit and run, as Mid-Island aggressively pounced on the defense of the Des Moines Midwest club to win its opening game in the Little League World Series, 5-2, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

"When I was pitching, John, a ball was hit to him and he dropped. Obviously, we saw him, he was upset, but he came up and I said, 'You're going to get a big hit,'" shortstop Steven Martinez said. "That's exactly what he did."

FOUR UNANSWERED RUNS LATE

Mid-Island was down 2-1 heading into the bottom of the third when a Midwest pitch in the dirt got away from the catcher briefly. Pitcher Gregory Bruno immediately took off for third and scored the equalizer when the catcher's throw to third sailed down the left field line.

Poor opposing defense propelled Mid-Island into the lead the next inning. With Logan Castellano on first, John Calabrese, coach Joe Calabrese's nephew, lined a pitch to right field. The right fielder's throw to third then sailed high and skipped into foul territory about 15 feet behind the bag, allowing Castellano to score the go-ahead run.

He then pushed the lead to 4-2 when he scored on a groundball to shortstop, taking off as the throw went to first.

Bruno struck out seven against just one walk in his sparkling Little League World Series performance.

Mid-Island advanced in the winner's bracket with the victory and will face Texas in the next round Sunday.

SUPPORTERS MAKE A NEARLY 200-MILE TREK

Mid-Island was definitely strongly represented, with family, friends, and fans traveling almost 200 miles from Staten Island to Williamsport.

"I can't wait to see my boy. It's exciting," said Lissa Bedford, the mother of one of the players.

Some members of the 1964 Mid-Island Little League World Series championship team even came to support the youngsters, hoping the "forgotten borough" of New York City can be crowned the best in the world.

 

 

 

"We talked to them before they started, told them they got a great team, they're going a long way, and here they are," said Donny Quattrochi, a catcher on the 1964 team.

"That's the key to whole series here: If you win that first game, you're in the driver's seat," said Jeff Paul, a pitcher for the previous championship club.