Is there any extra pre sure 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. wed be very appreciative. We love night games. Were a night team. If those words ring true then Staten Island would be headed into Tuesdays Little League World Series matchup against Lake Mary, Florida, which beat Boerne, Texas 4-1 on Monday night, with a bit of an advantage since the game is slated for 7 p.m. taten Island, N.Y.s Dean Scarangello, left, throws to first to get the out on Hinsdale, Ill.s Alex Vivanco during the third inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series. AP The Staten Islanders have quickly made up for a tough start to this years tournament a 9-1 lo s to Henderson, Nev., in the winners bracket by taking 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 teams offense coming alive in the fourth inning on Saturday and Sunday. Explore More Staten Island scored four runs in the fourth in Saturdays win to help erase a 1-0 deficit and broke a scorele s tie early in the same inning Nikita Zaitsev Jersey on Sunday morning. Its become a recurring theme for the offense that theyve taken one turn through the lineup before really getting going. Id like to do that on the first at-bat and the second at-bat, wed be a lot better off, Laterza said. But they gotta get a little bit of time to get moving these guys. Especially 9 oclock in the morning games. icolas McLean #9 at bat makes a hit in the fourth inning for Metro Region South Shore Staten Island N.Y. Little League Sunday August 18, 2024 vs. Great Lakes Region Hinsdale Illinois. Douglas Healey Vincent Ruggiero and Jake Romero have given Staten Island back-to-back impre sive 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. Its that the pitchers arent throwing as hard as they were in states, DeGaeta said on Sunday regarding his succe s at the plate. I can see the ball better and Ive been hitting curveballs really well recently. Two of my four hits were off curveballs. I think Im just smashing the curveballs right now. Staten Island, N.Y., center fielder Chace Curro (3) makes a catch on a ball hit by Puyallup, Wash.s Jaxon Jacobs during the fourth inning of a baseball game at the Little League World Series. AP Laterza, who called DeGaeta The Gata after Sundays 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 between the Yankees and Tigers. Daniel Carcillo Jersey