NJ Little League Team Falls to Mercy Rule Midway Through State Tournament Game

He scored a huge legal victory — but his team got crushed.

A New Jersey Little League player returned to the field Thursday night for a state tournament game shortly after a judge reversed his debated suspension for a bat flip.

Marco Rocco’s comeback was, nonetheless, overshadowed by the game’s outcome, as the Haddonfield Little League team faced a mercy-rule defeat in the fourth inning, losing 10-0 to the Elmora Youth League team, the state champions from 2019.

Thursday night’s game took on added significance following the incident on July 16, when 12-year-old Rocco was abruptly ejected from a game against Harrison Little League and suspended for one game for tossing his bat into the air after a home run.

Many other players had done the same throughout the season, as promoted on the Little League’s social media, but the umpire still chose to give Marco the boot, citing a “safety concern” over the celebration.

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A judge overturned the “draconian” suspension mere hours before Thursday night’s game, asserting that the vague rules “can’t be enforced arbitrarily and capriciously.”

The Little League Baseball organization was frustrated by the ruling and insisted that Rocco’s behavior had been “unsportsmanlike conduct” worthy of removal.

“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,” the organization wrote in a statement.

Marco’s father originally filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball on Tuesday seeking a restraining order to allow his son to play in the game.

Despite the loss, the Haddonfield Little League team lives to see another day, thanks to the double elimination tournament format.