MANSFIELD, Conn. –     Mitchell College junior righty Axel DeJesus pitched a complete-game eight-hitter to defeat Eastern Connecticut State University in the NCAA Division III New England Regional Tournament for the second time in three years, 3-2, in an elimination game of the 2016 double-elimination tournament at the Eastern Baseball Stadium.

DeJesus (6-2), who pitched the final 1 2/3 innings of his team's 4-3, 11-inning victory over Eastern (23-19) in 2014, went the distance for the second time in eight starts this season, getting No. 8 hitter Christian Budzek on a deep fly ball to left with two outs and two on in the ninth after No. 3 hitter Alex Zachary had cut the Mitchell (28-10) lead to one with his tenth home run leading off the inning.

DeJesus threw 85 of his 122 pitches for strikes, allowing only five hits through eight innings. He fanned two and walked only one – the walk only the ninth that he has allowed this season. The first run that DeJesus allowed that gave Eastern a 1-0 lead in the first was unearned due to a throwing error. After the first inning, DeJesus did not allow more than a hit in an inning until the ninth.

Mitchell, which has beaten Eastern for both of its NCAA tournament wins in nine games, plays its second elimination game Friday at 10 a.m. against the loser of Thursday's third game between Keystone College and Salem State University.

Mitchell, which has won eight of its last 11, tied the game in the third on an RBI single by Francis Prettitore, and went ahead for good in the fourth when the Mariners chased Eastern starting pitcher John Parker (4-4), a freshman. Parker was lifted in favor of  freshman Nick Rascati in the fourth with two runners in scoring position and one out. Rascati got an infield ground ball for the second out, but No. 2 hitter Kyle Hartenstein dropped an opposite-field two-run single into shallow left field to give Mitchell a 3-1 lead.

Hartenstein reached in all four of his plate appearances with two singles and a hit-by-pitch, and scored his team's first run. Zachary was 2-for-4 and drove in both of Eastern's runs. His ninth-inning homer was the only extra-base hit of the game.

After winning ten of its first 11 home games, the Warriors ended the year losing five of their final six on their home field.