Garden City Bombers and Harlem Black Yankees teams during pre-game ceremonies. Dignitaries in the middle, from left to right, included Lou Santos of Diamond Pros, Bombers coach Joe Rocco, Nassau County Deputy Director Dean Bennett, Master of Ceremonies Joe Mohen, Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla, St. Joseph's visiting priest Father Marcellus Gorecku, Orville Hagler (nephew of Dan Bankhead, first black pitcher in MLB), Harlem Manager Joe Morgan, and Harlem Coaches Gregg Walker, Chris Dolin, Rob Godosky. The Garden City players are Joey Rocco, James McCullagh, Nayeem Baksh, Zachary O'Conner, Thomas Rocco, Daniel Combatti, Cody Campson, Kyle Lynch, Richie Matone, Beau O'Connell, Joel Paulino, Moises Robles, Anthony Vaglica, Luke Zeccola, John Madigan, Martin Waters, Zack Kolsen. The Harlem Black Yankees players are Brandon Castillo, Phillip Daniels, Khalil Hamer, Russell Lowery, Ellis Maxwell, Sam Millstein, Nelson Perreira, Matthew Sierra, Jack Upton, Christopher Walker, and pitcher Elijah Wilson. The highly anticipated match-up between the Harlem Black Yankees and the Garden City Bombers was played at the Garden City Community Park on Saturday night, in what many called one of the best ever played baseball games between teams in that age group, with dominant pitching and defense.

After cerminonal first ball, Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla, Garden City Bombers catcher Anthony Vaglica Garden City Bombers who caught Mr. Bonilla pitch, Jack Upton, Harlem catcher who caught Bennett's first pitch, and Dean Bennett Deputy Director, representing Nassau County and Tom Suozzi. The pregame ceremonies included Dean Bennett, Deputy Director of Nassau County, and Mark Bonilla, Town Clerk of the Town of Hempstead, both of whom threw out the first pitch. Father Marcellus Gorecku gave the benediction and Sgt. Brain Coughlan of the NYPD who played God Bless America on bagpipes. The Garden City Recreation maintenance department worked all day to get the fields playable in spite of early morning rain.

The game was an all out pitching duel in this 9 inning event. In the first 5 innings the Bombers pitchers recorded 14 strike-outs, 6 K's by starter Beau O'Connell and 8 K's by Joel Paulino, while keeping the Yankees hitless. The Black Yankees pitcher Elijah Wilson struck out 6 Bombers hitters in the first 4 innings, but the Bombers were able to squeeze out single runs in the first and fifth innings to take a 2-0 lead after 5 innings.

Master of Ceremonies Joe Mohen introduces Sgt. Brain Coughlan, NYPD, who played God Bless America on the bag pipes In the first inning, Thomas Rocco reached first base via an infield single, went to second and third on two wild pitches and scored on Beau O'Connell's base hit to right field. In the fifth inning with two outs, Richie Matone hit a hot shot to the first baseman who could not handle it to put Richie on at first. Rocco then hit a two out double to right center to score Richie Matone to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead. Luke Zeccola followed with a deep fly to center, but it was caught at the fence to end the inning. Rocco's double was the Bombers last hit they would get, they had two earlier hits after Beau's RBI single in the first, a single in the second inning by James McCullagh and in the fourth inning by John Madigan.

Hempstead Town Clerk Mark Bonilla attended the first of its kind baseball game, at the Garden City Community Park, between the Harlem Black Yankees and the Garden City Bombers. Mr. Bonilla also had the honor of throwing out the first pitch of the game. After the first few innings, the Harlem defense was nearly flawless. Harlem shortstop Ellis Maxwell also made several sparking plays at short, turning 6-6-3 and 1-6-3 double plays, catching line drives, and fielding four hard hit grounders up the middle, robbing Garden City of hits.

Luke Zeccola pitched the sixth and seventh innings and held the Yankees scoreless, but the Yankees were able to get their first hit in the seventh. An opposite field double by Yankees Christopher Walker, followed an infield single by Jake Godosky. When the throw to first went past Bomber first baseman Cody Campson, Christopher Walker tried to score, but was gun downed by Cody on a perfect throw and a great block and tag by Bombers catcher John Madigan, one of many defensive gems by both teams.

Christopher Walker of Harlem faces off against GC pitcher Luke Zeccola. Garden City fielders are Thomas Rocco at second base, Moises Robles at short, and Joey Rocco in centerfield. The drama was building up in the eight inning with Kyle Lynch on the mound for the Bombers. Kyle breezed through the first two Yankees hitters, but lost the next to hitters on 3-2 pitches. So with two outs and two on, Yankees hitter Elijah Wilson went the opposite way to short right field that was snagged by Bombers second baseman Thomas Rocco to save a run and keep the score at 2-0.

The Bombers were kept off the board in the eighth and brought in Moises Robles to try and close out the Yankees in the ninth. Harlem leftfielder Kahlil Hamer, leading off the ninth, crushed the first pitch over the center field wall for a solo home-run cutting the lead to 2-1. Moises Robles kept his cool and recorded three straight outs, two on strike-outs, to preserve the win 2-1 win for Garden City.

It was a night of great baseball for both teams, the atmosphere of a game 7 of a World Series, and two teams fighting to the finish. In the end, handshakes and pounds for both teams for an epic battle and great sportsmanship.

Garden City starter Beau O'Connell got the first six of an incredible 18 strikeouts over 9 innings. "Our players were thrilled to play well in their first ever night game," said Harlem Black Yankees manager Joe Morgan. "They were even more excited to play in front of a distinguished crowd and in the presence of first class umpires on a beautiful field against a well-coached team."

The Garden City Bombers have offered travel baseball program since 1999. This fall, it is offering travel programs in the 16 and Under, 13U, 12U, 8U, and 7U age groups. Several teams won league championships or tournaments this summer. For more information, contact GCBombers@aol.com, or call 637-8644.

Harlem Black Yankees Elijah Wilson pitching to Thomas Rocco, one of the few GC batters to get a hit off him.