NEW LONDON, Conn. – Top-seeded Mitchell College claimed the 2021 New England Collegiate Conference Baseball Championship with a 15-2 victory over third-seeded Elms College on Sunday afternoon.

The Mariners fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first but didn't trail for long, bouncing back for three runs in the home half to snatch away the lead for good. Mitchell pushed across 15 straight runs to build a double-digit advantage and cruise to its 11th straight victory.

Dougie DelaCruz went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI in the victory and was named the tournament's most valuable player. Camren Varney earned the win on the mound in his first postseason start, giving up one run on four hits over 8.0 innings while striking out six.

The Mariners, who went unbeaten over the three-day tournament, won the league title for the seventh time in school history and the fifth time under head coach Travis Beausoleil. Mitchell bested all three teams in the tournament en route to the title, outscoring its opponents by a combined 43-5 margin.

Elms came out swinging to start the game, turning a single by AJ Cook and a double by Tyler Galenski into a run in the first inning. Varney did well to limit the damage, stranding Galenski on second base with a punch out and a fly ball.

The Mariners provided an immediate response in the bottom of the frame. Jeremy Sagun led off with a single and later scored on a base hit up the middle by DelaCruz. Hunter Yaworski then plated a run with a sacrifice fly to right, and three batters later Anthony Diaz made it 3-1 with an RBI single to left.

Mitchell continued the offensive assault in the second inning, pushing across four more runs to go up 7-1. DelaCruz drove in a pair of runs with a single through the left side, and Anthony Laureano and Diaz each tacked on RBI singles to cushion the lead.

Varney (4-0 overall) quickly settled into a groove following the rocky start. After surrendering the run in the first, he retired 18 of the next 19 batters he faced—including 12 straight—and didn't allow a hit.

The Mariners continued to pile up runs in the later innings. In the sixth, Matt Falk knocked in a run and Robbie DelaCruz drove in two as the lead expanded to 11-1. Diaz added a solo homer in the seventh, and Yaworski tacked on a two-run single in the eighth.

The Blazers picked up their final run in the ninth on a double by Cole Blades. However, Mitchell reliever Bryce Bedard struck out two batters before fielding a comebacker for the final out, setting off a wild celebration that resulted in a dogpile in the middle of the diamond.

Cook and Austin Roy each finished the game with a pair of hits. Roy, who also made the start on the bump, gave up seven runs on 13 hits and struck out two in the loss.

Dougie DelaCruz hit .642 (9-for-14) with four doubles, eight runs scored and eight RBI over the three tournament games. Joining him on the all-tournament team were Yaworski, who batted .500 with two doubles and nine RBI over the three games, and pitcher Roland Thivierge, who tossed a complete game with eight strikeouts against New England College on Saturday.

Mitchell (24-6 overall) has earned the NECC's automatic bid for the 2021 NCAA Championship. This year's NCAA field of 48 teams will be announced on May 24.

2021 NECC Baseball Championship
Game 1 – #1 Mitchell 20, #4 Becker 0
Game 2 – #2 New England College 4, #3 Elms 3 (11 innings)
Game 3 – #3 Elms 9, #4 Becker 2
Game 4 – #1 Mitchell 8, #2 New England College 3
Game 5 – #3 Elms 8, #2 New England College 4
Game 6 – #1 Mitchell 15, #3 Elms 2

NECC All-Tournament Team
Dougie DelaCruz, Mitchell – MVP
Hunter Yaworski, Mitchell
Roland Thivierge, Mitchell
Damon Wesley, Elms
AJ Cook, Elms
Kyle Sebastyanski, Elms
Connor Morin, New England College
Joseph Pascucci, New England College
Ethan Perry, Becker
Niko Mokanos, Becker