TRUMBULL, Conn. – The Nashua 13-15 year-old Babe Ruth All-Star team has been almost unbeatable so far this tournament season, rolling through seven games without a loss.

This time, it was Connecti­cut pitcher Austin Dutcher who was perfect.

Well, almost.

Dutcher came one batter away from a perfect game, throwing a complete-game no-hitter to lift New Milford to a 10-0 mercy-rule victory over Nashua on Friday morn­ing in the opening game of the New England Regionals.

Dutcher was perfect into the fifth, setting down the first 13 batters he faced.

Eight of those came on strikeouts. Andrew Patno was the only Nashua player to reach base on a one-out walk in the fifth.

The left-handed Dutcher retired the final five batters and earned the no-hitter while sitting on the bench when New Milford ended the game via the 10-run mercy rule with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth.

"I thought he was a pretty good control pitcher for a 15-year-old," Nashua manager Willie Kierstead said.

"He was very good."

Dutcher, who finished with 10 strikeouts and also went 1 for 2 with two walks and two runs scored, had an inclination he was headed for a good day after striking out the side in the top of the first.

"I try to go out positive and confident every time and make sure I’m prepared," Dutcher said.

"I try not to think about how many hits I’ve given up, but I struck out three in the first so I felt pretty good about it."

New Milford, which beat host Trumbull twice to win the Connecticut state champi­onship, scored the only run it would need in the top of the first as Dutcher led off with a walk and scored on two infield ground outs.

CJ Barrett pitched well, allowing just three hits over the first four innings.

Barrett ended up scattering six hits over 5-2/3 innings, but Nashua’s defense failed to back him, making four errors.

Five of the 10 runs were unearned.

New Milford scored twice in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead on two hits and three er­rors.

Evan Baldessaro got the final out in the sixth for Nashua after replacing Barrett.

"I don’t know what the story was today," Kierstead said.

"My fielders didn’t field the way they usually do. Maybe we got up too early for practice. It just wasn’t our day."

Nashua will have to make an adjustment, and a comeback, if it hopes to advance past pool play. Each team gets three games.

The top two teams in each division will play in the semifinals with the winner of the finals moving on to the World Series in Lawreceburg, Tenn., Aug 13-20.

"We have a good team here," Kierstead said. "I think we can do it."