New Jersey LLWS squad loses to Connecticut due to illegal slide

The New Jersey Little League team lost because of a rule that isn’t in the major leagues.

During the first round of the Little League World Series Metro Regional on Saturday in Bristol, Conn., New Jersey’s Jackson Holbrook lost 2-1 to Connecticut’s Fairfield National — with the final out being made from an illegal slide.

After what would have been the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning, a Jackson Holbrook player was ruled out for sliding headfirst into second base.

According to the official Little League rulebook, headfirst slides are only allowed when sliding back into a base.

“Here’s that head first slide, you are not allowed to go head first into the ahead base,” the broadcast booth pointed out. “You are allowed to do it going back to a base, but you can not do it to that forward base.”

Players on Fairfield National pointed out the illegal slide to the umpires and the Jackson Holbrook player was ultimately called out after review.

“I knew he couldn’t slide head first,” Fairfield National player Luca Pellegrini told CT Insider after the game.

Fairfield National has remained undefeated throughout this summer, but this game was one of their toughest matches yet, according to manager Brian Palazzolo.

“New Jersey put up one heck of a fight,” Palazzolo said. “That was a championship fight. I hope everybody that was here enjoyed it a lot better than I did because I think I lost a couple of years of my life on that one.”

This game comes just days after a controversy involving another New Jersey Little League team, where Marco Rocco of Haddonfield Little League was initially suspended from the state tournament championship for bat-flipping after a home run.

Rocco and his father, Joe, took the suspension to court, where a judge ruled that he was allowed to play in the championship tournament, where Haddonfield lost to Elmora 14-10 in the semifinals.

Little League was “extremely disappointed” with the judge’s ruling, according to a statement released by the organization.

“Little League International respects, and will uphold, the Gloucester County Superior Court of New Jersey Chancery Division judge’s decision to allow a Haddonfield (N.J.) Little League player to participate in the Little League Baseball New Jersey State Tournament and beyond following an ejection caused by unsportsmanlike conduct last week,” the statement read. 

“While we continue to follow any orders governed by the court of law, Little League is extremely disappointed that time, energy, and attention were diverted away from our volunteers and communities who are creating positive experiences for all players and families throughout the International Tournament. Trusted by parents and communities around the world, Little League holds the integrity of the game, respect for game officials, and sportsmanship of teams as core tenants of our program.

“We expect all players, coaches, and staff to uphold these values at all times.”