BANGOR – It would have been a dream come true for Jordan Clarke, if only he had dreamed that ambitiously.

But the Bangor righthander never imagined pitching a no-hitter in the opening game of pool play at the 2006 Senior League World Series at Mansfield Stadium.

“I just wanted to win the game any way possible and get three strikeouts,” said Clarke on Sunday afternoon after Bangor edged Canadian champion Regina, Saskatchewan 3-0. “That’s all I wanted.”

Clarke exceeded his strikeout wish – and much more – in a 77-pitch masterpiece that included four strikeouts and just a pair of two-out walks, one in the first inning and one in the third.

Clarke picked off one of those baserunners, and retired the last 13 batters by effectively changing speeds with a blend of fastballs and curves.

“His fastball was on, and his curveball was on,” said Bangor catcher Tyler McDade. “We tried to use the curveball on the first pitch to get ahead in the count and throw them off, and then finish with the fastball. He was really throwing heat today, which helped.”

Bangor, the Maine District 3 champion which qualified for the Senior League World Series as the host team, played errorless defense behind Clarke, who kept them alert by never throwing more than 16 pitches in an inning.

Key defensive plays included Ryan Larochelle reaching up to snare a rising liner to center field by the game’s first batter, Matthew Strueby; a tough catch on a foul popup near the Canadian dugout by third baseman Tyler Brookings in the second; and Mack Susi’s grab of a rising liner to second base by Tommy Frasz to produce the second out of the seventh inning.

But mostly it was Clarke inducing popups and grounders, routine plays that made for a special day.

“Their pitcher threw well,” said Canadian manager Barry Richardson. “The first couple of innings he started getting his breaking ball over, and the change of speeds and movement definitely baffled our hitters. We hit the ball hard, but we hit the gloves.

“I think they definitely knew we could hit the fastball, because in the first inning we put the ball in play pretty hard, but changed it up and our batters didn’t adjust accordingly, so hats off to them, they played a great game.”

The win was the third for the Maine District 3 champion over Canada in the five years the SLWS has been held in Bangor.

Bangor (1-0) returns to action at 5 p.m. today against Asia Pacific champion Makati City, Philippines. Canada (0-1) resumes Pool A play at 8 p.m. Tuesday against U.S. West winner Pearl City, Hawaii.

Canada righthander Tyler Cameron pitched well enough against Bangor to win most games, scattering seven hits – including a double and single to Larochelle, the game’s lone repeat hitter – while striking out five and walking two.

He took a shutout of his own into the top of the fifth, when Bangor’s Christian Larochelle drew a one-out walk, advanced on a groundout by John Cox and scored when Clarke flared a single to center.

“The first two at-bats I hit the ball well, but they were right at people, so I just wanted to get the run in,” said Clarke. “It was a fastball, pretty low, and I hit a line drive to center field.”

Bangor got the breathing room it needed an inning later, with Christian Dionne hitting an opposite-field single to right with two outs to drive home Brookings and pinch-runner Chad Kelley.

Kelley was running for McDade, who singled after Brookings had reached on a fielder’s choice. A balk by Cameron moved the runners to second and third two pitches before Dionne lined his single just under the reach of diving Canada first baseman Kyle Richardson.

“It was a perfect pitch for me, because I like it outside,” said Dionne. “I’m an opposite field hitter, and the pitch was right there for me, and that’s where I put it.”

The rest was left to Clarke, to finish off what he had started – his first career no-hitter.

“It was the only thing I was thinking about the last inning, not to give it up,” he said.

MAINE DISTRICT 3 3, CANADA 0

(Pool A Sunday)

Regina, Saskatchewan (0-1) Bangor (1-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Strueby, lf 3 0 0 0 Gray, rf 2 0 0

Ringlein, cf 3 0 0 0 Cox, ph 2 0 0 0

Frasz, 3b 2 0 0 0 Clarke, p 3 0 1

Richardson, 1b 3 0 0 0 Gallant, ss 2 0

Cameron, p 2 0 0 0 R. Larochelle, cf 3 0

Shulko, rf 2 0 0 0 Brookings, 3b 3 1 0

Barth, ss 2 0 0 0 McDade, c 3 0 0

Marinos, 2b 2 0 0 0 Kelley, pr 0 1 0

Hebert, c 1 0 0 0 Susi, 2b 1 0 0

Duff, ph 2 0 0 0

Dionne, lf 3 0 1 2

C. Larochelle, 1b 2 1 0

Totals 20 0 0 0 Totals 26 3 7 2

Canada 000 000 0-0

Maine District 3 000 012 x-3

E-Barth; LOB-Canada 1, Maine District 3 7; 2B-R. Larochelle

Canada IP H R ER BB SO

Cameron (L, 0-1) 6 7 3 1 2 5

Maine District 3 IP H R ER BB SO

Clarke (W, 1-0) 7 0 0 0 2 4

BK-Cameron; PB-Hebert; T-1:25; ATT-1,075