St. James-Smithtown Claims New York State Little League Championship

St. James-Smithtown Little League has achieved a remarkable feat, clinching the New York State title for 12-year-olds and inching closer to the prestigious Little League World Series.

“It feels great — making history with everybody that I’ve been teammates with for four years straight, we’ve been working as hard as we can,” said outfielder Eric Hanson, reflecting on the program’s first boys championship in New York.

The team triumphed with a decisive 7-2 victory over Staten Island’s South Shore Little League, a team they had previously lost to in pool play by a score of 8-2.

After falling behind 2-0 early in the game and struggling against off-speed pitches, manager Scott Santelli prompted a strategic shift. “We basically said, ‘Hey, guys, we’ve got to start looking curveball, not fastball,’” he explained, noting the unconventional approach.

James Santelli, the manager's son and left fielder, recalled a similar situation during a previous district tournament against West Sayville, where they managed to rally back from a tough position. “We’ve rallied before,” he stated confidently. “So I knew that we could do it again.”

Pitcher Jeremy Katz, who also holds the title of New York State home run derby champion, ignited his team’s momentum with a solo home run in the second inning, narrowing South Shore’s lead to 2-1.

In a stunning fourth inning, St. James-Smithtown exploded offensively, scoring six runs, highlighted by Katz’s two-run homer. “Jeremy comes up, hits a second home run of the game, the whole crowd’s going crazy,” Hanson recalled. “We were hyping everybody up in the stands… It felt like a home game for us.”

With this victory, St. James-Smithtown advances to the Little League Metro regional tournament, where they will compete against top teams from New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Their first match is scheduled against Rhode Island on August 2 at 7 p.m.

The winner of this tournament will earn a spot in the Little League World Series later this month. “When I was younger, I always used to watch them on ESPN — and now I’m going to be on there. It’s the achievement of a lifetime,” Santelli expressed with excitement. “I really think we have a chance.”