Harwich, Mass. --- Mitchell College junior Rafael Garcia (New Britain, Conn.) scampered home for the winning run in the top of the 11th and freshman David De Jesus (Stratford, Conn.) tossed a scoreless final frame as the eighth-seeded Mariners toppled top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University, 4-3, in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Tournament New England Baseball Regional this afternoon at Whitehouse Field.
Mitchell (24-12-1) moves on to the winners' bracket to take on fourth-seeded Endicott at 4:30 tomorrow. The Warriors fall to 32-8 and will try to stay alive in the tournament when they face off against fifth-seeded MIT tomorrow at 9 a.m.
The triumph marks the first NCAA Division III Tournament victory in any intercollegiate sport for the Mariners, who are making their second-ever appearance in the national baseball playoffs.
Garcia ignited the Mariners to start off the 11th with a one-out double down the left field line. After he moved to third on an infield single by the second base bag by classmate Ryan Goodwin (Tunkhannock, Pa.) charged home as the shortstop could not corral the loose ball to keep Garcia at third.
Eastern Connecticut had a chance with runners on the corners in the bottom of the stanza. Senior Brendan Lynch (Wethersfield, Conn) lined a base knock up the middle and then senior Nik Ververis (Plainfield, Conn.) set up a one-out jam with a blooper to left field.
But De Jesus got out trouble by inducing an outfield fly and a ground out to third to seal up the victory.
Garcia originally helped the Mariners stake the early 1-0 advantage in the top of the sixth to break open a scoreless game. He bolted home on a wild throw by the catcher after initiating a double steal.
Eastern Connecticut answered in the bottom of the same inning by knotting up the score at 1-1 when junior Kyle Hart (Guilford, Conn.) plated Ververis, who led off the frame with a double to right center before advancing 90 feet on a ground-out.
Mitchell pushed across the go-ahead tally in the top of the seventh. Junior Galvin LaLima (Waterford, Conn.) jump started the stanza with a single to right and a swipe of second and then senior Will Charkowski (Cold Spring, N.Y.) rapped out an infield single to plate LaLima.
The Warriors, however, came right back and tied up the contest 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single to centerfield from senior Gavin Lavaillee (New Milford, Conn.) to bring in Ververis, who drew a walk to begin the inning before he promptly stole second.
Both squads had their chances in a wild ninth stanza set the stage for a remarkable finish in the extra session.
Mitchell had a chance with runners on first and third, but sophomore Adam Merritt (Seymour, Conn.) escaped by getting the final man on a strikeout looking.
Eastern Connecticut also threatened with two men on base and Veveris at the plate, however, the Mariners recorded the final out by getting the lead runner, who tried to steal third with a man caught in a run down at first.
With two outs in the top of the 10th, junior Blaze Iannetti (Middlesex, N.J.) reached on an infield miscue. After teammate Gavin LaLima (Waterford, Conn.) sliced a single to left field, senior Marc Dorsi (W. Haven, Conn) lined a single up the middle to give Mitchell the 3-2 edge.
Veveris though helped keep his team in the game in the bottom of the inning when he drew a lead-off walk to start off another late Warrior rally. With Veveris at third following a sacrifice and a single by Lavallee, he walked in the equalizer with junior Kyle Hart (Guilford, Conn.) at the plate.
With De Jesus on the hill and the bases loaded, he got out of the logjam by inducing a play at home and a ground out to set the stage for Mitchell's deciding tally in the top of the next stanza. The rookie set down the final batter of the stanza on a 3-2 count, with two out, the lead-off batter and the winning run for the Warriors at the plate.
De Jesus (4-2) gave up two hits over his scoreless 1 2/3 innings of play to earn the victory for the Mariners while Merritt (2-2) absorbed the Eastern Connecticut setback as he permitted a pair of unearned runs in the later innings over his 2 2/3 frames of work.
Mitchell, who outslugged their opponents 14-10 in the contest, had runners on in every inning through the first six which included the lead man in the fifth and sixth. But senior Greg Porter (Mystic, Conn.) spun a pair of double plays to keep the game scoreless.
Sophomore Tyler Shamas (Westbrook, Conn.) also got out of dodge on numerous occasions as he stranded five men in scoring position over his first four innings of work.
Porter fanned six over his 6 1/3 innings in the no decision. He issued three walks and allowed two earned runs while scattering six hits.
Shamas was a workhorse, hurling 126 pitches (72 strikes) over eight 2/3 frames for Mitchell. Shamas yielded five base on balls, two earned runs and seven hits to go with five punch outs for the Mariners.
LaLima and Goodwin finished the contest with three base-knocks apiece while Ververis crossed home plate three times and he chipped in with a trio of hits, including two for doubles. Garcia also scored twice for Mitchell.