The Staten Island team was eliminated at the Little League World Series after losing 7 to 3 to Georgia on Thursday night.
Manager Joe Calabrese told WOR's "Len Berman and Michael Riedel in the Morning" that this was a "tough loss" and they didn't play their best game.
"It's a little disappointing, but in the end these kids put a lot of effort in, they had a great run. It was a magical ride for them and they made memories here that will last them forever," Calabrese said.
That was the second straight loss for the Mid-Island team, after falling to Hawaii the previous night. Had Staten Island won on Thursday, they would have gotten a rematch with Hawaii on Saturday.
"I would have loved to have a shot at them again on Saturday morning," Calabrese said.
Calabrese actually thought his coaching career was over until his brother John passed away four years ago. His nephew is now one of the players on the team
"At that moment it became my responsibility to take care of my nephew and my nieces and we did the best we can with it. At such a young age, I couldn't imagine losing a parent. My parents are both still alive so it was just devastating. If this brought him at least some joy in his life and his Dad would be so proud of the way he handled himself and the way he played and the way he carried himself," Calabrese said.
Photo Credit: Getty Images