By Mike Forde
The Bayside Yankee Junior Americans traveled north of the border to whet their appetite for the fine taste of Canadian cuisine and the finer taste of victory.
The Yankees swept all five games of the North Atlantic Regional tournament, which landed them a berth in the World Series. The Regionals, which started on July 20 in Welland, Ontario, consisted of 10 teams vying for a shot at the World Series held in Northville, Michigan. The Yanks (44-15 overall, 41-9 in junior ball) rolled easily, not needing any of the leeway given in the double-elimination format.
The Yanks went 2-2 in the World Series, which started July 27, and failed to make it to the championship game. The round-robin style pitted five teams in two divisions. The top two teams made it to the finals.
During the North Atlantic Regional tournament, the Yankee hurlers reveled. The Yanks treated their hosts rudely the first game, defeating the Wilmington (Canada) Thunder Birds, 4-1. Brian Fiedler pitched a complete game four-hitter and struck out five.
The pitching domination continued in the second and third games, as Queens products Kenny Gleason of Christ the King and Brian Morgan of St. Francis Prep each pitched complete games. Gleason threw a three-hit shutout in a 10-0 win against the Ardsley Angels from Westchester. Morgan notched a 9-3 victory over the local rival Long Island Tigers.
In the fourth game, Dennis Conroy picked up another complete-game victory for the Yankees, as the Yanks knocked Wilmington out of the tournament, 15-3.
