Colchester — The man with the radar gun behind home plate clocked Mike Burrows consistently at 92-93 miles per hour early Tuesday afternoon, a prelude to what would become a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts.

Burrows' postgame scowl, however, suggested someone had just stolen his car.

"My stuff just wasn't there," Burrows said, after Waterford High School's 10-0 victory over Bacon Academy, shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.

"A lot of people might see it as good," the UConn-bound Burrows said, wiping sweat from his face, "but I know I can do a lot better."

He's not kidding.

He has done better this season.

Like his two previous starts, which were no-hitters.

Burrows finally allowed a hit in the second inning of this game, a double by Ryan Lawrence with one out. Luke LaSaracina had an infield hit in the fifth. Burrows walked four.

"I know (Burrows) wasn't happy, but that's still pretty good," Waterford coach Art Peluso said. "This is the first game we've played in this kind of humidity. I know my hands were sweaty and I wasn't doing anything. I can't imagine trying to grip a ball. He kept battling."

Burrows called the heat "a shock. We haven't played in anything close to this hot."

Waterford, despite the win, won't get a piece of the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division II title. Bacon (14-4, 8-2) has at least a share, and Montville can make it co-champs with a win at Woodstock Academy on Wednesday.

But that doesn't mean the Lancers (13-4, 6-4), the defending state Class M champs, won't command attention in the next few weeks during the ECC and state tournaments. Waterford has moved up to Class LL this spring.

The offense, for example, has mimicked the weather: getting warmer.

Sonny Pezzello, the new No. 3 hitter, went 2-for-4 with four RBI and Walker Sutman went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. Burrows had two hits and scored three times, while Ben Jerome and Pete Kiefer scored two runs apiece.

"We just need to be consistent," Burrows said. "We're getting to the point in the year where it's going to be single elimination. This is baseball. (Stuff) happens. It could be over in one game. So we've got to be focused on being consistent."

Peluso said, "Our offense has left us for moments in time, but I think it's pretty well been there overall all season. Right now, we're getting two-out hits, which have been huge, and the guys at the bottom of the order have been turning over the lineup. Those are all good signs."

m.dimauro@theday.com

BY THE NUMBERS ...

Waterford ace Mike Burrows is 5-0 this season with a 0.55 earned run average. Among his other highlights:

• Back-to-back no-hitters

• A current streak of 23 consecutive scoreless innings

• Needs only seven strikeouts for 300 in his career