HOOKSETT — The celebration on Penmen Field seemed like it would never end. Not that anybody really minded.

Coaches, players, parents, fans and others who knew where this once downtrodden program had come from were more than happy to pose for pictures, share hugs and generally act like this was the happiest day of their lives.

It probably was.

The Southern New Hampshire University baseball team is going to the NCAA Division II World Series.

The top-seeded and host Penmen edged Le Moyne College, 4-3, Sunday in the 11th and final game of the East Regional tournament. Next stop: Cary, N.C.

They open the World Series at the USA Baseball training complex Saturday at 5 p.m., against Central Region champion Minnesota-Mankato (48-10).

SNHU (42-13), in its first NCAA tournament, played like a collection of battle-tested veterans as they hung close with the Dolphins, tying the game on three different occasions before finally going ahead on Kevin Spatkowski's bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Alex Powers did the rest.

The team's closer went 3 1/3 innings, ending the game with a ground ball to shortstop after Le Moyne (43-15-1) opened the inning by putting the potential tying run on base.

The Penmen went with ace Tim Flight to start the game on two days rest. The lefty, who was dominant in Thursday's 3-0 win over Dowling, managed to get through three innings, allowing two runs on five hits, before SNHU coach Scott Loiseau started to call on his well-rested bullpen.

Jon Massad went 2 2/3 innings, allowing one run, before giving way to Powers with two outs in sixth. He retired the first seven batters he faced, 10 of 11 overall, and struck out the side in the eighth.

“He was going to throw as long as he could,” Loiseau said.

“The coaching staff asked me prior to the game if I could give them three innings,” Powers said. “I told them I could and once the adrenalin kicked in, I was prepared to go as long as they needed.”

The Dolphins squandered an opportunity for a big inning in the third when Brett Botsford doubled just inside the third base bag and scored on a Zach Wiley double to go up 2-1. However, Wiley was thrown out trying to score from third on an infield hit. Flight got the next two outs, finishing the inning and his day with a strikeout.

Le Moyne made the decision to bring back Ed Kohout on one day's rest.

Kohout, who threw five innings in Friday's 17-4 win over Dowling, turned in five solid innings, leaving with the game tied at 3. He dodged a major bullet in the fifth inning when Jon Minucci launched a shot to dead center with the bases loaded that was tracked down on the warning track.

The long one-out fly ball was still good enough to drive in the Penmen's third run, marking the third time they tied the game. First baseman Riley Palmer of Goffstown drove in SNHU's first run with his first hit of the tournament, a two-out triple in the second inning.

The Penmen pushed across the decisive run in the sixth when a single, error and hit by pitch set up Spatkowski's run-scoring walk.

Le Moyne played its way into the final game by beating Franklin Pierce University, 6-2, in the first game of the day.

Le Moyne 6, FPU 2: For the second straight game, the Ravens couldn't get more than four innings from their starter and it cost them. The Dolphins knocked out Ryan Leach in a three-run fourth inning as they built a 6-0 lead.

Le Moyne starter Derek Zielinski did the rest, tossing a complete game. The junior gave up six hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out 12.

It was the second straight game the Ravens couldn't mount much of an offense. SNHU's Junior Mendez went the distance against them Saturday night in the Penmen's 5-1 win.

The Ravens led the NE-10 in runs scored and batting average, but they managed just 13 runs in four games and hit .232 for the tournament.

It was the second straight weekend Le Moyne knocked FPU out of a tournament. The Dolphins beat the Ravens twice on the final day of the NE-10 tournament. The Ravens, who were making their ninth appearance in the regional tournament, finished the year at 38-19-1.