BRISTOL, Conn. — It’s the end of the Bulls rodeo.
St. James-Smithtown Little League’s best-ever season came to a heartbreaking close, just one win short of the Little League World Series in the Metro regional title game.
The boys were overpowered and run-ruled 12-1 in four innings by Connecticut’s Fairfield National — and starting pitcher Luca Pellegrini’s one-hit, nine-strikeout night — in front of a packed house in Bristol, Conn.
“You don’t want to lose like this, but it was such a great run,” said Bulls manager Scott Santelli, who had tears in his eyes after the loss.
His high emotions aren’t for missing out on Williamsport but instead because his time with the players, whom he has coached since they were little boys, will be coming to an end.
“Seeing them grow up … hearing some of their voices deepen the last year with puberty. … The one thing that never changes, they’ve always been the greatest kids ever — good-hearted kids who’ve been there for each other,” he said. “I just hope I had an impact in their life.”
It was a tough evening for starting pitcher Jeremy Katz, who was pulled in the first inning after letting up three runs to a team the Bulls beat 6-1 to reach the championship game.
Kevin Moran came on in relief and allowed six runs in three innings until he was pulled for Ryan Delgado in the fourth. He also had a hard night, allowing another three runs until Gary Rocco was able to stop the bleeding in the seven-run fourth.
The Bulls’ dynamic offense, which carried the 12-year-olds to the Metro regional final, stalled after a pair of no-hit innings to start Friday night’s game.
Catcher JT Borowski was the only batter who cracked Pellegrini’s brilliance with a single in the third, and after some walks, the Bulls managed to load the bases.
However, an RBI walk from center fielder Chase Saxon was all the squad could muster at bat the rest of the inning.
“That was our chance,” Santelli said. “But, you know, just one of those days.”
Despite the sad finale in the modified double-elimination tournament — St. James-Smithtown was undefeated, but the regional format doesn’t allow for a first loss in the championship round — the team still boasted a historic season.
The 2025 Bulls were the first New York state champions from the towns’ joint league, and Katz was the Empire State’s home run derby champion.
Throughout the once-in-a-lifetime journey, teammates called the magical run the best summer of their lives. While dorming in Little League’s Bristol complex, the Long Islanders made interstate friends by playing lots of Wiffle ball with teams from other tournaments during their downtime.
They also made their Suffolk County neighborhoods into true believers as townsfolk packed bars to cheer on their hometown boys throughout the run.
“You look up in the crowd, I think we had as many people as the other side,” he said of the parents and fans who ferried across the Long Island Sound to root on the Bulls.
Although the sun is setting on a special summer, Santelli looks to the future in store for what he calls his “other family.”
“This is not finished, right? We’ll be together. These are all Smithtown kids, so I’m going to see them play Smithtown baseball. … I know I’m going to be following them throughout their careers. It meant so much to me,” Santelli said. “This was the greatest week of my life. It really was.”
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