SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. ? It was a little tougher than anyone on the Staten Island team thought it would be, but the South Shore Little League wore down a feisty Iowa club to earn its way to the US semifinals.New York rode the arm of Michael Rapaglia and the timely hitting of Anthony Scotti to escape from Lamade Stadium with an 8-3 win that was a tight game for five innings.New York drew first blood in the top of the first thanks to doubles by James Morisano and Scotti.Staten Island added a second run in the third when Morisano walked and eventually came around to score when Michael Russell’s grounder could not be handled cleanly.Scotti drove in the game’s third run with a single in the fifth and Nicholas Vitale drove in the fourth run of the game.Angelo Navetta (solo) and Vincent Quinn (3-run) added a couple of exclamation points to the score with a pair of towering home runs in the sixth.New York had a chance to put the game away in the top of the fourth when it loaded the bases thanks to a double by Michael Rapaglia, a walk and a hit batter.Iowa pitcher Trae Cropp (4.1 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs) got Morisano to pop out to short to end the threat.Before Iowa got three in the bottom of the sixth, its best scoring threat came in the bottom of the fourth, when it loaded the bases with two outs, but Rapaglia put out the fire by striking out Zach Rague.Rapaglia worked four innings, giving up three hits, while walking two and striking out seven.Earlier in the day, Warner Robbins, Ga., which had already clinched the top spot in Pool A, rallied for a pair of runs to get past Mercer Island, Wash. 3-2.”We win our games in one of two ways,” coach Randy Jones said. “We either win by shock and awe or scratch and claw. (Monday) was definitely scratch and claw.”Georgia plated the tying and eventual game-winning runs in the top of the sixth thanks to a hit batter, a walk and a combination of wild pitches and passed balls.”(By getting the top spot) it gets us an extra day of rest (Georgia will play the No. 2 team from Pool B Thursday),” Jones said. “We took Sunday off except to hit, so we rested all the arms. We have that luxury with the depth and that has worked out good for us.”Georgia used five pitchers in Monday’s game with none throwing more than 20 pitches, so they are all eligible to pitch in the next game.Georgia started the World Series by defeating Iowa 11-3, breaking open a 5-3 game in the top of the sixth with six runs.Georgia then jumped out of the box against Staten Island in its second game, scoring a pair of runs in each of the first two innings en route to a 6-3 win. Justin Jones went the distance in that game, allowing just three hits while striking out five.Georgia has used the long ball in its wins, blasting seven in its first three games. Jones has belted three round-trippers and Spencer Sato has hit a pair.The pitch count (no pitcher may throw more than 85 pitches in a game) has been around a couple of years in Little League but has become a contentious issue at the World Series.Peabody West’s Matt Hosman was forced to come out of Sunday’s game against California when he reached his pitch limit.Before being removed from the game, Hosman had limited the hard-hitting lineup to two runs, one earned, while striking out 10.Twice in Georgia’s win over Staten Island Saturday, the Georgia coaches instructed their players to swing at pitches, to drive up the pitch count, when the New York pitcher was trying to intentionally walk them.”The pitch count is a part of the game and it is here to stay,” Jones said. “Those that don’t find a way to use it will be going home.”Our player intentionally missed at a ball their pitcher was trying to intentionally miss with,” Jones said. “We will use the pitch count to our advantage.”The only drama left in Pool A will be decided tonight (8) when California and Texas square off to determine seeding for the US semifinals. Both teams will advance to the semis with the winner of tonight’s game grabbi
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