Patterson, McAvoy help Witches sweep Brewer earns key wins over Hampden

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HAMPDEN – Heal Points have proven somewhat elusive for the three teams at the top of the Penobscot Valley Conference Class A ranks this spring.

Not because Bangor, Brewer and Hampden Academy are undeserving, but because the only other two Class A teams in the conference (Old Town and Nokomis of Newport) are in a rebuilding mode, and the lack of other Class A programs in the region leaves a four-game void in the schedule filled by less pointworthy Class B teams.

That will change in 2006 when the PVC schools enter a Class A scheduling agreement with the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference – but for now it makes matchups like Saturday’s doubleheader between Brewer at Hampden Academy all the more important.

And it makes Brewer all the happier with the results: a 6-0, 12-8 sweep at Bordick Park.

“We looked at this as the most important games of the season for us so far,” said Brewer coach Dave Morris. “That’s a good baseball team, and these were big wins for us as far as getting points for a good finish.”

The 11-2 Witches – who were completing a stretch of six games in seven days – got strong efforts from righthanders Andrew Patterson and Kevin McAvoy in ending Hampden’s five-game win streak.

Patterson pitched his second shutout in a week to win the opener, allowing four hits while striking out eight and walking two.

“Everything was working today, my fastball, curveball, changeup,” said Patterson. “My game plan was to go out there and throw strikes so my defense could work.”

McAvoy yielded just one run through six innings of the second game, striking out seven and walking one before being lifted in the seventh.

“We ask Kevin and Andrew to do a lot for us,” said Morris. “They always go out and compete and try to help us in any way they can.”

Hampden’s pitching plans were altered just before the first game when righthander Pat Moran felt soreness in his shoulder, but the Broncos’ problems on this day were as much about offense and defense as they were on the mound. Hampden (9-4) managed just 10 hits in the first 13 innings of the doubleheader before scoring seven runs in the final inning of the second game. The Broncos also committed seven errors.

“First of all, Brewer’s a great team, so give credit to them,” said Hampden coach Marc Halsted. “We didn’t have a good day today, but we’ve got to look at this as an aberration because we’ve had a lot of good days this season.”

In the first game, Hampden righthander Chris Pease retired the first 11 batters he faced before Brewer took a 2-0 lead with a two-out rally in the top of the fourth, with an error and a walk setting up a two-run, opposite-field single by Jeff Miller.

A double by Ian Lee, a single by Pease and a walk to Jason Huntley loaded the bases for Hampden in the bottom of the fourth, but that threat ended when Patterson recorded an inning-ending strikeout as sophomore catcher Mitchell Peasley held onto a foul tip on the third strike.

Brewer added three runs in the fifth, a rally sparked by Kevin Kotredes’ RBI double to left-center, and scored its final run in the seventh as Patterson tripled and scored on a wild pitch.

Brewer right fielder Ben Davis, making his first varsity start, preserved Patterson’s shutout bid in the fifth with a diving catch of a fly ball by Moran with one out and runners on first and third.

In the second game, Brewer struck for two runs in the first inning and five runs in the second for a 7-1 lead, and wasn’t threatened until the seventh when Hampden rallied against the Witches’ reserves.

In addition to his pitching effort, McAvoy also singled twice and had four stolen bases, while Miller doubled and Matt Grimes had three RBIs – after being hit by a pitch three times in the first game.

WITCHES 6, BRONCOS 0

(First Game)

Brewer Hampden Acad.

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Otis, dh 4 0 0 0 Meehan, ss 4 0 0

Cushing, 2b 0 0 0 0 Shannon, 2b 4 0 0

Patterson, p 4 0 2 0 Moran,1b 4 0 0

Porter, pr 0 1 0 0 Lee, 3b 3 0 1 0

McAvoy, 3b 4 2 0 1 Pease, p 2 0 0

Kotredes, 1b 3 1 1 1 Lawson, pr 0 0 0

Miller, cf 2 0 1 2 Morris, p 1 0 0

Grimes, lf 1 0 1 0 Brooks, c 3 0 0

Peasley, c 4 0 0 0 Huntley, dh 2 0 0

B. Davis, rf 3 1 1 0 Sugesawa, lf 0 0 0

J.T. Davis, ss 2 1 0 0 Brown, cf 2 0

MacLean, rf 3 0 1 0

Totals 27 6 6 4 Totals 28 0 4 0

Brewer 000 230 1 ? 6

Hampden Acad. 000 000 0 ? 0

E?McAvoy 2, Cushing; Lee, Pease, Shannon; LOB? Brewer 7, Hampden 9; 2B?Kotredes, B. Davis; Lee; 3B?Patterson; SB?Grimes, McAvoy; Brown

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

Patterson (W,3-1) 7 4 0 0 2 8

Hampden Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Pease (L,3-1) 4 2/3 3 5 0 3 5

Curran 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 0

Morris 1 1 1 1 1 0

HBP? Grimes by Pease (2), Morris; WP?Pease 2, Morris; T?2:00

WITCHES 12, BRONCOS 8

(Second Game)

Brewer (11-2) Hampden Acad. (9-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Otis, dh 3 1 1 0 Shannon, 2b-p 3 1 0

Cushing, 2b 0 1 0 0 Curran, p 0 0 0

Patterson, 1b 3 2 1 1 Scott, ph 2 0

Goodin, 1b 1 1 1 0 Meehan, ss 4 1 0

McAvoy, p 3 3 2 1 Moran, 1b 4 1 0

Porter, ph 1 0 0 0 Lee, 3b 4 1 2 1

Kotredes, 3b 4 1 1 1 Pease, dh 2 0 0

Morrow, 3b 0 0 0 0 Farley, p 0 0 0

Miller, cf 2 1 1 0 Morris, 2b 2 1 1

Thibodeau, ph 1 0 0 0 Brown, cf 4 2

Grimes, lf 3 0 1 3 Brooks, c 2 0 0

Hardy, lf 1 0 0 0 Lawson, c 2 0 0

B. Davis, rf 4 0 0 0 Huntley, rf 1 1 0

Peasley, c 1 0 0 0 Higgins, ph 1 0 0

Canning, ph 1 1 1 0 MacLean, lf 2 0 0

Caldwell, c 1 0 0 0 Sugesawa, ph 1 1 0

J.T. Davis, ss 2 1 0 0

Green, ph 1 0 0 0

Totals 32 12 9 6 Totals 34 8 11 4

Brewer 250 120 2 ? 12

Hampden Academy 100 000 7 ? 8

E?McAvoy, Morrow, Cushing, B. Davis; Shannon, MacLean, Meehan, Morris, Moran, Huntley; LOB?Brewer 9, Hampden 8; 2B?Miller; Lee; 3B?Brown; DP?Hampden 1; SB?McAvoy 4, Miller 2, J.T. Davis, Kotredes, Canning; Shannon, Meehan

Brewer IP H R ER BB SO

McAvoy (W,2-1) 6 2/3 8 4 2 1 7

Economy 0 3 4 0 2 0

B. Davis (S,1) 1/3 0 0 0 0 0

Hampden Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Farley (L,0-1) 1 2/3 4 7 3 3 2

Shannon 3 1/3 3 3 3 2 2

Curran 1 0 0 0 1 0

MacLean 1 2 2 2 2 2

HBP?Miller by Farley, Patterson by Shannon; WP? Economy 2, McAvoy; T?2:30; ATT?80