ORONO – Even before Brewer broke out to a big lead with 11 runs in the first two innings en route to a 13-5 baseball victory over Orono, the Red Riots had already suffered one of this season’s biggest losses.

And this one came before Thursday afternoon’s game had even begun. Starting catcher and team leader Bo Thomas suffered what coach Aaron Watson believes to be a broken collarbone and dislocated shoulder after diving for a ball in pregame drills.

“I think the kids were thinking about Bo. It’s be unfortunate because I think his season may be over,” said Watson, whose Red Riots drop to 4-7. “After the first couple innings, I think the kids shook that off, but we were down too much by that point.”

The Riots did come back strong to make a game that appeared to be headed to a premature, mercy rule-mandated end more respectable. But the combination of the Witches’ early offense, which produced nine of their 12 total hits in the first two innings, and steady pitching of sophomore righthander Andrew Patterson were too much to overcome.

“I think this game was my worst in terms of control, but my fastball was working pretty good,” said Patterson (2-0). “I just tried to keep throwing strikes and went about 75 percent of my pitches with fastballs. The rest were curves.”

Patterson was reliable if unspectacular as he scattered five hits over five innings while issuing two walks and no strikeouts.

“That’s the thing about him,” said coach David Morris, whose Witches improve to 9-3. “He comes out and he’s not overpowering, but he’s always ready and he throws strikes and with the defense behind him, he did a great job.”

So did third baseman Chris Cote, the bandleader for Brewer’s hit parade with three hits – a bases-loaded triple, a double, and a single – in three at-bats.

“I think I only saw one curve in all my at-bats. I was just seeing the ball really well today,” Cote said. “They were just trying to throw strikes and we were real aggressive at the plate.”

Cote was a home run away from a rare cycle, but didn’t mind when he was lifted in the fourth inning.

“He’s a very unselfish kid. When I took him out, there wasn’t a bat of an eyelash,” Morris said. “As a matter of fact, he went and got a chart and started charting pitches. He’s a leader on our team.”

Course, it helped that Cote is decidedly not a power threat.

“He only has one, and that one was wind-aided at our place,” joked assistant Jon Goss.

Tony Doucette (two singles) was the only other multiple hitter for Brewer, which also excelled on the basepaths with seven steals and in the field with three double plays.

Derek Sinclair led the Riots with two RBI singles.

Orono committed four errors, but only two of Brewer runs were unearned.

WITCHES 13, RED RIOTS 5

Brewer (9-3) Orono (4-7)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Bouzan-Kalstian, ss 3 2 1 1 Merritt, ss 2 0

Rohn, ss 1 0 0 0 Miller, 2b 3 0 1

Doucette, 2b 4 2 2 0 Levesque, p-1b-3b 4 0

Caron, 2b 1 0 1 2 Terrill, 1b-p 4 0 0

Barrett, 1b-p 1 2 1 2 Skall, cf 2 0

Breindel, 1b 1 0 0 0 D.Thomas, c 3 1 0

Griffin, c 3 1 1 1 Sinclair, lf 3 1 2

Cote, 3b 3 2 3 3 Hilton, 3b-p 1 1 1

Kotredes, 3b 1 0 0 0 Kelley, rf 3 0 0

Sutherland, rf 2 1 1 1

McGary, rf 1 0 0 0

King, dh-1b 2 0 0 1

Bell, lf 2 0 1 0

Bernier, lf 2 1 1 0

Sargent, cf 2 1 0 0

K.McAvoy, cf 1 1 0 0

Totals 30 13 12 11 Totals 25 5 8 4

Brewer 560 000 2 ? 13

Orono 010 022 0 ? 5

E?Rohn; Miller 2, Levesque, Terrill; LOB?Brewer 4; Bangor 5; 2B?Cote; Thomas; 3B?Cote; DP?Patterson-Bouzan-Kaloustian, Rohn-Caron, Kotredes-Caron-Breindel; SF?King; Merritt, Hilton; SB?Sutherland 2, Sargent, Cote, Griffin, K.McAvoy, Bernier; Skall

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Patterson (W,2-0) 5 5 3 1 2 0

Collins 1 3 2 2 0 0

Barrett 1 0 0 0 2 1

Orono IP H R ER BB SO

Levesque (L,2-2) 1 1/3 7 10 9 2 1

Terrill 4 2/3 4 3 2 5 3

Hilton 1 1 0 0 0 2

HBP?King by Terrill; WP?Terrill; T?2:05; ATT?107