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A New Jersey Little League team’s chances of heading to Williamsport have taken a hit after one of their sluggers was suspended for a state tournament game due to a bat flip.
Marco Rocco, a 12-year-old for Haddonfield Little League, launched a two-run home run last Wednesday against Harrison Township Little League and flipped his bat into the air.
The homer made it an 8-0 game in the sixth inning, which wound up being the final score. With the victory, Haddonfield clinched the Section 4 title and moved on to the state championship.
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Twelve-year-old Marco Rocco is suspended from playing in a Little League tournament game for this bat flip. (Joe Rocco)
However, as he crossed home plate, Rocco was ejected due to a “safety concern,” Rocco’s father, Joe, told NJ.com.
“They wrote us a letter saying there’s a rule that says there’s no horseplay in Little League, and they consider bat flipping horseplay,” Joe Rocco said. “Little League International openly promotes bat flipping all over their social media accounts, their websites and the broadcasts on TV for the Little League World Series. It’s openly promoted and encouraged.
“My son watches that and was emulating what he sees.”
A temporary restraining order was filed on Tuesday in the Gloucester County Chancery Division in hopes of letting Rocco play – a decision will be made by 3 p.m. ET on Thursday. But Little League International is “not willing to compromise in any way,” according to the father.
Harrison Little League’s catcher was not pleased with the celebration. (Joe Rocco)
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“He’s played Little League his whole life, and his dream is to make it to the World Series in Williamsport,” Joe Rocco added. “We’re in the state finals and are a couple of steps away. We’re on our way there, and now, they tell him he can’t play.”
Haddonfield and Harrison Township also played each other on both July 13 and 15, splitting the first two contests and making Wednesday a winner-take-all.
Haddonfield begins the state tournament on Thursday against Elmora, which made it to the Little League World Series in 2019, in Deptford. The New Jersey tournament is a four-team, double-elimination format.
The Haddonfield-Elmora bout will begin at 8:30 p.m., five-and-a-half hours after Rocco’s fate for the game will be decided. Both sides will make their final arguments beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Umpires met and ejected Rocco, which warrants a suspension. (Joe Rocco)
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Ridgewood and Jackson-Holbrook Little Leagues make up the other teams to advance to the state final. They defeated Williamsport and Nottingham Little Leagues to win their respective sections.
The winner of the bracket will head to Bristol, Connecticut, for a chance to represent the Metro region at the Little League World Series.
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