SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — It’s again to fundamentals.
The day after falling 12-0 to a dominant Honolulu workforce on the Little League World Sequence, Massapequa Coast took the follow subject, not within the Metro Area champion gear they’ve been sporting this week, however of their navy and gold dwelling jerseys.
“I needed them to place these jerseys on, so when individuals did see us once more, simply because the protection has been completely superior since we received states and regionals, I needed them to be acknowledged after a loss as properly,” supervisor Roland Clark mentioned Saturday, including the uniform change led to a psychological shift — stripping again the fanfare of being on a world stage and reminding his gamers of the historic path they’ve already tread from their small Lengthy Island hamlet.
“That is who we're. That is the workforce that obtained us right here,” Clark mentioned. “These unique numbers that they obtained to pick means one thing to them.”
Each Christian Bekiers and Liam St. George agreed it felt good to placed on their outdated devoted uniforms as they ready for his or her second recreation, which will probably be Sunday afternoon.
“It appears like we’re again at dwelling and representing everybody again at dwelling,” mentioned Bekiers, who declared he’s not able to pack it up and return to Lengthy Island.
The 11-man squad is searching for a recent begin within the double-elimination event and a recent web page to jot down their Little League World Sequence story.
“I obtained plenty of texts from mates at dwelling telling us to place [the Friday night] recreation behind us and we gotta play laborious this subsequent recreation,” Bekiers mentioned.
“I simply bear in mind to play good and have faith and good issues will occur,” added Anthony Badagliacca, who notched the workforce’s lone strikeout on Friday.
On Sunday, Massapequa Coast will face Hollidaysburg, Pa., 7-5 winners over Middleboro (Mass) on Saturday evening.
“We’ve been on this place earlier than,” mentioned Clark, referring to the district event, at which they received three in a row, edging themselves out of the losers’ bracket to stay alive and later develop into the primary workforce in Massapequa Coast’s 72-year historical past to achieve Williamsport.
Regardless of the gravity of the do-or-die second, Clark doesn’t have any cinematic locker-room moments deliberate.
“There aren't any ‘Rudy’ speeches proper now,” he mentioned. “They’ve heard me converse of these conditions earlier than. Proper now we’re leaving it as much as them to return out and resolve on their very own who they need to depart Williamsport as. Who desires to be the primary one to return out and get that hit in tomorrow’s recreation? Who desires the break the ice for the workforce and get the wheels going?”
The workforce is hoping for an infusion of motivation from their common leaders — Lucas Mininni, Bekiers and third baseman Michael Clark.
“Lucas is all the time encouraging us within the dugout to get higher and have extra vitality,” Bekiers mentioned.
Mentioned St. George: “Christian is all the time telling us that the sport is behind us and we gotta play laborious that subsequent recreation.”
Bekiers, who hasn’t reduce his lengthy hair since Massapequa began its run, can also be the resident DJ, tasked with preserving the playlist filled with pump-up music.
“We play plenty of outdated New York rappers, like Biggie. We like ‘Juicy’ and ‘Hypnotize’. Once we received New York, our coaches instructed us that we had been New York powerful,” he mentioned of the Empire State-centric hip hop.
Clark, the coach’s son and resident dance starter and hype man, retains the workforce free and laughing.
“I couldn’t even inform you what he does. He does random stuff, however provides us plenty of vitality,” Bekiers mentioned.
The boys had a simple day of swimming and resting and naturally attending the sport Saturday evening to study their subsequent opponent.
“The groups performed in the identical area as us. They're each two actually good groups,” Biekers mentioned. “But when we play our recreation, I believe we obtained them.”
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