New London — The Mitchell College baseball program could put out an instructional manual on how to win championships.

No New England Collegiate Conference baseball team has won more titles than the Mariners, who captured their third straight and fifth overall on Sunday. They earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament.

Mitchell's latest championship was closed out with a 14-8 victory over third-seeded Southern Vermont in the final at Alumni Field. The Mariners (27-9) overcame an early six-run deficit.

"It's crazy," said junior Tyler Pina, who earned tournament most valuable player honors. "It's unbelievable. We came out ready."

The top-seeded Mariners took an easier route than the previous two seasons when they fought their way out of the losers' bracket to capture the title.

This time they swept their way to victory, winning all three games in the double-elimination tournament. They rode a potent attack, piling up 45 runs and 54 hits overall.

After the game, coach Travis Beausoleil talked about the difference between the last two title runs.

"Last year was special because it was the guys that I had in my first (recruiting) class," Beausoleil said. "It was a culmination of four years of hard work for them. This year we replaced so many guys. We basically replaced an entire starting lineup with the exception of second base and DH.

"To have freshmen step in and learn every nuance of this program, that's what's truly special."

It was truly a team effort, as nine different players contributed to the 16-hit attack. And, once again, the steady bullpen came to the rescue, allowing only three hits and two runs in the final 7.1 innings.

Reliever Marcus Guadarrama (4-0) earned the win and fellow sophomore Eddie Santiago pitched his best game of the season, striking out six and not allowing a hit or run in a spotless four innings. He picked up his second save.

Santiago, a New London High School graduate, fanned Dan Mason to end the game and set off a wild celebration.

"It was exciting," Santiago said. "It's always a dream to close out a game and dog pile with your teammates."

The Mariners looked in trouble early, trailing for the third straight game in the tournament. Zach Storey's grand slam — the first of his two home runs — helped hand the Mountaineers (20-20) a 6-0 lead in the second inning.

There was no panic in the Mitchell dugout.

"It doesn't matter," said Pina, who reached base four times on two singles and two walks, drove in a run and scored two, "because we know our offense is going to come back and score on them and our pitching is going to hold them."

That's exactly what happened.

Mitchell scored three runs in the third inning, five in the fourth and three in the fifth to surge in front, 11-8. Timely hitting and aggressive baserunning fueled the rally.

"These guys have heart," Beausoleil said. "They didn't falter. They didn't give up. They could have easily said let's try to get ready for the next game, and they didn't. They battled and battled. They kept coming back after it.

"It was a great job by them."

Sophomore Kyle Hartenstein, who had three hits and a team-best three RBI, delivered a decisive blow in the fourth, belting a two-run double to cut the gap to 7-5. Francis Prettitore (2-for-3, two RBI) drew a bases-loaded walk and Chandler Whitney (2-for-5, two RBI) drilled a two-run single to put the Mariners, 8-7.

After Anthony Mercuri's home run knotted the score at 8, the Mariners answered with three runs in the fifth. Pina, Prettitore and Garet Griffin each had RBI hits to push the lead to 11-8.

Santiago took over with a runner on and nobody out in the sixth and slammed the door from there, retiring the last 12 batters.

The Mariners raced onto the field to mob Santiago after the final out.

"They get better each year," Pina said of postgame championship celebrations.

Pina, Whitney and Prettitore were named to the all-tournament team.

The Mariners will have to wait until May 16 to learn their NCAA opponent and destination. It will be the program's fourth trip.

"I've been asking them since February to play your best baseball the first week of May," Beausoleil. "I don't know if we did. But we've got an opportunity to keep playing. Hopefully, middle of May, we'll be playing our best baseball."

g.keefe@theday.com