Pointers headed to NJCAA W. Series

Rochester, N.Y. - Justin Tacinelli made sure history wasn't repeated.

He pitched a complete-game three-hitter Sunday to lead the UConn-Avery Point baseball team to a 15-0 win over host Monroe Community College and a berth in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series.

Monroe, which snapped Avery Point's 17-game winning streak with a 10-7 win in Sunday's first game, beat Avery Point twice in 2008 - in the same situation the Pointers were in Sunday.

"I gave the team a little history lesson, I still remembered what happened two years ago,'' said Avery Point coach Roger Bidwell.

This year's Pointers (37-8) were listening. And they will play in the World Series, which begins on May 29 at Enid, Okla., because of it.

"These guys deserve this because they've really come a long way,'' said Bidwell, who brought teams to the World Series in 1999 and 2004.

Tacinelli (5-1) struck out two and walked three. He was backed by an 18-hit attack.

"I wanted to make sure I had somebody for the (second) game,'' said Bidwell. "They were running out of guys and we knew we had a guy ready.''

Chris Davidson drove in four runs in the second game, singling and hitting a three-run homer. In the four games, Davidson homered four times and had 12 hits. Norwich's Kyle Wilson also homered, Stanley Paul had three hits and scored four runs and Nick Palmisano had three hits.

Old Lyme's Ryan Fuller, bound for UConn, had three hits and scored twice in the first-game loss.

"(Fuller) had some work to do when he got here, and he's done it,'' said Bidwell. "I think he can help UConn.''

Jake Matuszak had three hits, Davidson had four hits and Wilson had two hits in the opener.

About the only negative came when Bidwell found out about the two-week layoff before the World Series.

"We played our best baseball the last couple of weeks. We're just peaking at the right time,'' said Bidwell. "Now we have to wait two weeks.''