The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 29

SECTION Tranghese takes over Big East reins Page D3 Horse racing National Baseball Local sports D2 D4 Friday, June 22, 1990 The Journal-News, Rockland County, N.Y. Booking yp tor Yao LATEST SCORES AMERICAN Yanks 7, Jays 6 Nxt: 7:35 p.m., today, at Toronto Radio: WABC-770 TV: Ch. 11 LaPoint (4-6) vs. Key (4-2) YANKEES 7 Toronto 6 Cleveland 4 Baltimore 3 (10 inn.) It was an uprising built through good fortune and finished with clutch hitting. After George Bell made a leaping catch at the wall in left to record the first out and rob Steve Balboni, reliever Jim Acker appeared to have his second out when Jesse Barfield checked his swing on a 2-2 pitch.

Plate umpire Greg Kosc appealed to first base ump Jim Joyce, who ruled Barfield had not gone around. Please see YANKEES, D4 Minnesota 4 Kansas City 14 That says plenty about where the Yankees were when Bucky (18-31) Dent was manager. New manager Stump (6-9) Merrill hopes the success of the last three days says plenty about where this team is headed. Is it too soon to proclaim a turnaround? "That's our objective to turn it around and start playing the way we know we can play," Merrill said. "I said all along we have confidence in these guys." Finally, the Yankees are beginning to justify the confidence of others and to believe in themselves.

"I think it's getting there," Don Mattingly said. "We've really played a lot better in close games. We're starting to win those games. We just look better." Last night they were impressive against the 39-29 East leader, a Toronto club that had won seven of its previous eight games including a three-game sweep at Yankee Stadium last weekend. This time, it was the Yankees who produced the big rally in the late innings with a four-run eighth that snapped a 3-3 deadlock.

Winning streak at 3 games By Tom Pedulla Staff Writer TORONTO Three victories in a row. To a first-place club, such a ministreak means nothing. To the last-place Yankees, embarrassed owners of the worst record in the major leagues, it means everything. The 24-40 Yankees matched their longest winning streak of the California 6 Detroit 4 season by toppling Toronto 7-6 last night at the SkyDome in the kind of hard-fought contest that had gone consistently against them. To put the Yankees' little streak in perspective, they have not enjoyed this much success since they swept three in California May 4-6.

NATIONAL Atlanta 4 Cincinnati 3 LEGION BASEBALL 1 (MlUjt Pirate -j to touir Goastt 1- tm. Busy schedule in California By Pete Caldera Staff Writer Next to the American Legion playoffs, the upcoming trip is as tough as the baseball season gets for the OTB Pirates. Monday the team jets to Southern California for two weeks of games against the best of their schedule, which includes a tournament, and a date to face Fullerton, the runner-up at last year's American Legion national final. Fullerton is managed by Al Robinson, the father of Yankees' reliever Jeff Robinson. Last year, during the Pirates' first California trip, the team finished with a record of 5-8, a decent enough mark against some impressive opponents.

However, the Pi Staff photoMark Vergari Kirk Triplett, leading of the Buick Classic after the first round, follows through on a shot in front of a leader board yesterday at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison. Open ace one sftrote back Triplett leads with 1st-round 65 HEADLINES LOCAL KEARNEY ALL-STATE: Garnerville resident Mike Kearney of St. Joseph Regional High in Montvale, N.J., was named to The Associated Press's second-team All-State team as a pitcher. The team was announced yesterday. TRIATHLON: Brendan Doolan of Blauvelt, a 16-year-old junior-to-be at Tappan Zee, won the 14-19 age division at the Wyckoff (N.J.) Triathlon last Saturday.

Doolan completed the half-mile swim, 1 5-mile bike ride and 5-mile run in 1:26:55 to place 26th of 670 finishers overall. SOFTBALL: The USSSA New Jersey Modified Pitch State Tournament will be held July 20-22 in Manalapan, N.J. Entry fee is $175. For information, phone Tony l.nbimbo at 201-364-6694. SOCCER: The Clarkstown Cougars youth soccer team is looking for girls born in 1978 for its 10-month traveling team.

Anyone interested should phone Kathy Reddy at 623-6493. NATIONAL HOT BATS: The Oakland Athletics batted .311 withlOHRs and 43 RBI on their seven-game road trip to Detroit and Chicago that ended Wednesday. They went 4-3 on the trip. The hottest bats on the trip: catcher Terry Steinbach (.500, two HRs, 12 RBI); shortstop Walt Weiss (.391, one RBI); center fielder Dave Henderson (.400, three HRs, eight RBI) and left fielder Rickey Henderson (.348, three HRs, three RBI). LOOKING PACK 30 years ago today in Rockland County: Jim Vellane and Al Kwiecinski had two hits each as the Clarkstown Boosters beat Suffern 3-2 in the Rockland County Connie Mack League.

Steve Drummond hit a long shot but was denied a home run as he was called out on appeal for missing third base. rates came away feeling a little empty. "We feel we could've gone 7-6, but the main thing was that we proved we could be compet-itive against teams from California, and when tered to Irwin, Mike Sullivan and Barry Jaeckel when each scored a hole-in-one. Sullivan aced No. 1 and Jaeckel won a Buick by knocking in his tee shot on 16.

Among the major PGA Tour figures lurking behind Triplett were former Classic champ Andy North, Paul Azinger and Craig Stadler, all at 67. Hal Sutton, Fred Couples, Ian Baker-Finch and last year's playoff loser, Ronnie Black, were at 69. Ray Floyd, Open playoff loser Mike Donald and former Classic champs Bob Gilder and Roger Maltbie were at 70. Defending champ Wayne Grady shot 73. A steady start turned into a birdie bonanza for Triplett.

After parring the first four holes, he birdied four of the next six. Putts of 10 and 5 feet yielded birdies on Nos. 5 and 6, and short irons to within five feet of the 9th and 10th holes put him 4-under-par. A 7-iron to within three feet of the pin at 13 and a 15-foot birdie putt at 14 completed his best round of the year. "I grew up in the Northwest with courses similar to this, with a lot of trees," he said.

"I was Please see CLASSIC, D3 lett is a 28-year-old Washington state native who has played on the Asian, Australian and Canadian tours. A pro since 1985, he earned his PGA Tour card last year and is 104th on the earnings list with $72,646. He tied for fourth in the Shearson Lehman Hutton Open in February, but missed six cuts and placed no higher than 18th in any other event. Triplett tied for 33rd in the Open. "I've always been sort of a grinder, never a star at any level," Triplett said.

"I'll try to play with the same thoughts I had today: put the ball between the trees, keep it below the hole and keep trying to make birdies. But you can't win the tournament Thursday or Friday." What you could do yesterday was score well. Out of 156 players who teed off, 58 broke par 71 and 88 were at par or below. "There was no wind at all until the seventh or eighth hole, then only very light," Britton said. "It was perfect scoring conditions.

The course was set up easy: greens slower and the rough not quite as high as last year." Of course, none of that mat QUICK CLASSIC town," Irwin said. "I'm not here to put in an obligatory two days and get out of town." After a bogey at No. 10 his first hole and what he called a "wakeup call" Irwin birdied four of the next seven holes. He bogeyed 1, but aced the 133-yard sixth hole and finished with a birdie on 9. "I'm feeling a little fatigue, and not sleeping well because I'm so keyed up," Irwin said.

"But there's a very positive carryover from last week." Can he win back-to-back? "Why not?" he said. With journeyman Triplett leading the pack, the most notable name atop the leaderboard was its title. With its vintage cars on display in front of the clubhouse and "Walk of Champions" entry to the grounds, there was no mistaking Buick's backing of the tournament Manufacturers Hanover had sponsored the previous 11 years. Triplett is a vintage first-round leader. Remember Ernie Gonzalez, the early leader who finished dead last in 1985? Trip laSMlSiifMB 1 By Bill Varner Staff Writer HARRISON, N.Y.

On the night before the inaugural Buick Classic, Hale Irwin got to sleep at a reasonable hour: 10:30 p.m. Irwin needed the rest because he hadn't been sleeping well all week and was determined to do more than bask in Monday's U.S. Open triumph. But Irwin awoke at 1:30 a.m. and tossed and turned for two hours, his mind racing over last weekend's triumph and its implications for his career.

He finally fell asleep, only to have his alarm go off at 5:30 a.m. Tired and admittedly "not ready to play," Irwin nonetheless shot 5-under-par 66 in the first round at Westchester Country Club. Along with former Old Oaks Country club assistant pro Bill Britton, Blaine McCallister and Buddy Gardner, Irwin is one shot behind Kirk Triplett. "I didn't come here to slip and slide through and get out of After 3 years, Munoz calls it a career we came back keith Connelly home we won 10 of 11 (leading up to the state regionals)," said Pirates manager Nate Salant. Said three-year Pirate right fielder Keith Connelly, "We lost a couple of games in the last innings, and that was really disappointing to the whole team.

"The people who were there last year can relate to that, and now that we have a little more experience behind us we'll try to avoid that (happening)." The Pirates get started with a double-header against Moreno Valley and Anaheim, followed by a double-header at Rancho Cuca-monga and a late afternoon game at Chino. Next up is the Moreno Valley Invitational Tournament, where the Pirates, seeded seventh overall in the eight-team field, will open against eighth-seeded host Moreno Valley Saturday at 1 p.m. The field is broken into two divisions of four teams, where each team plays one game against its own division and then one randomly selected game versus a team in the other bracket. The top two teams in each division will play for the championship, then the two second-place teams will meet, and so on. After facing Moreno Valley, the Pirates will play third-seeded Anaheim at 11 a.m.

Sunday, followed by a 5 p.m. game against top-seed Please see PIRATES, back page Winter Haven, the Red Sox's Class A affiliate in the Florida State League. "I'm 24 and playing once a week just wasn't fun anymore. I figured I'd put in a few years and that it wasn't go- INSIDE ma for several weeks before coming to a decision. He could see the handwriting on the wall.

"They were playing more younger players, guys who were like 19 years old," Munoz said. "I was playing just once in a while. I told them I'm 24 and that I need to make a move now." Winter Haven manager Dave Holt said, "His age and the ages of some of the other kids we have here worked against him. We have to take a look at some of the younger players. "He did a good job for us while he was here but he never had a regular role and he wasn't getting Please see MUNOZ, D5 'It was the hardest decision I ever had to make.

People kept telling me I should do this or I should do that but I'm the one who has to live with Lou Munoz Red Sox used him in utily role By John Humenn Staff Writer After three years of slow bus rides, fast food and bouncing from one minor-league baseball town to another, Lou Munoz decided to call it quits. Munoz, 24-year-old Suffern resident, retired last Thursday after a three-year career as a minor league ballplayer in the Boston Red Sox organization. "I wasn't getting any playing time," said Munoz, an infielder with loo munoz ing to pan out. I gave it my best shot. "It was the hardest decision I ever had to make.

People kept telling me I should do this or I should do that but I'm the one who has to live with it." Munoz wrestled with the dilem Suffern, Nyack, Nanuet supply All-County team him to clear the ball on the first pass. He is a lacrosse player. SEAN FLYNN, Suffern: A senior and repeat All-County player one of Suffern's three big-stick defenders who paced arguably Rockland's toughest defense an All-Section and All-League selection with attend Rockland Community College. Said Orlando, "Sean had an excellent year. He always had the other team's best man.

Sometimes he had to leave him and go with the man with the ball. Individually, I don't think he got beat once or twice all year. He's just a good all-around defenseman. He only gets in trouble when he tries to do too much." Please see BOYa' LACROSSE, hs er, he looks the part," said Orlando. "He's been playing goal since Pee Wees.

When he's hot there's no finer goalie around. He stops everything that's thrown at him." DEFENSE JOHN CONACE, Nyack! This senior spearheaded Nyack's defense that helped capture second place in League II-B a three-year varsity starter name All-League good stick skills and a fine sense of the game will attend Cortland State where he expects to play lacrosse. "He enjoys the game and wants to be a student of the game," said his coach, John Whisker. "John's stick work was his greatest assest for us. We looked to Suffem's Orlando named Coach of Year By John Kryger Staff Writer Suffern dominated League I-A while Nanuet and Nyack battled for the top spot in League II-B this season so it should come as no surprise that this year's Journal-News All County boys' lacrosse team consists of players from these three schools.

The Mounties defeated Yorktown to gain a three-way share of the I-A crown while Nanuet and Nyack finished one-two in League II-B. Suffern leads with five se'lections and Coach-of-the-Year John Orlando who captured that honor for the third straight season. Here is a closer look at the team, picked by The Journal-News with input from Rockland's boys' lacrosse coaches. GOALIE JASON YOUMANS, Suffern! A' junior, he was All-League and honorable mention All-Section had shutouts over North Rockland, Clarkstown South, and Nyack held Scarsdale to one goal and Horace Greeley to three in Division I play gave up 55 goals, the fewest in the county this year for a 4.23 goals-against average a three-year starter improved his clearing ability to help the offense. "I like his classic style jis a goaltend- Associated Press WHAT Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell (left) protests the 'safe' call given after Angels' Luis Polonia stole second base in the second inning last night.

The Angels won, 6-4. Baseball roundup, Page D4 Journal-News ALL-COUNTY BOYS' LACROSSE GIRLS' SOFTBALL i.