Killingworth — Mystic's impressive run ended Friday night at the hands of Coginchaug in the Connecticut Section 3 Little League (11-12) baseball final.

Coginchaug came out swinging and rolled to a 17-7 victory over the District 10 champions at Sheldon Park. Coginchaug advances to the double-elimination state tournament final four next week against the District 12 champion.

"We had everything arranged the way we wanted to," Mystic manager Dave Mewha said. "We had our number one and two pitcher ready to go. It just didn't work out for us today."

Cam McGugan led the way for Mystic on offense, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.

For Coginchaug, Mike Garofalo was the difference on the mound and at the plate. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing only three runs, while striking out eight. He also went 3-for-3 with a pair of ome runs and drove in five.

Coginchaug scored two runs in the first inning. Garofalo scored on a catcher's interference and Chris Carafeno came in on a bases-loaded walk.

After getting hit in the hand on the catcher's interference play, McGugan was replaced behind the plate by Nick Carney and moved to left field.

Coginchaug's powerful offense continued in the second with four runs, including a two-run home run by Alex Mach over the right-center fence.

After a Garofalo three-run home run to extend the lead the 9-0, Mystic rallied in the fourth inning. Garofalo walked the first batter, and was later relieved by Jeremy Mangiameli following Ryan O'Connor's RBI.

McGugan hit Mangiameli's first pitch around the right field foul pole for a three-run home run to make it 9-5.

The rally wasn't enough however, as Coginchaug put up eight more runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Garofalo hit his second out of the park, a solo home run, and Carafeno added a three-run blast.

"We kept bleeding runs out on the field," Mewha said. "We wanted to get them to put in their reliever to jump on him. It was just too little too late."

Mystic went down swinging in its final at-bat with Colin Anderson and McGugan crossing the plate. Coginchaug's Mangiameli was able to prevent more damage, sending the District 9 champions on to the state finals.

For Mystic, the season has come to an end, but Mewha believes that their accomplishments in baseball are just beginning.

"We had higher expectations, but we have a good group of kids that will move on to big things,"he said.

a.turner@theday.com