Knights

Photo: Anthony Mancuso/Nashua Silver Knights

12. 3. 14. 7. 17. While they might look the part, these numbers aren’t from last night's Powerball drawing. Instead, they are the Silver Knights offensive output from their latest five game win streak. A red-hot Nashua lineup has been hard to top over the last week, posting 10+ runs three times in their last five games. After a big sweep in Brockton, the Knights looked to end their weekend with a win in Norwich before they headed into the All-Star break.

Nashua’s offense has been a ferocious flame as of late, but even the biggest of blazes eventually go out. Norwich extinguished the Knights win streak, winning the ballgame 4-1 on Sunday afternoon. Sea Unicorn pitching performed well, with their arms limiting the Knights to just six hits with many Silver Knights going hitless. Norwich carried a combined shutout into the ninth before Nashua secured their lone run of the ballgame.

Assumption’s Shea Ryan started for the Knights as he made his ninth appearance of the season. Ryan’s start wasn’t up to his standards, but not bad whatsoever with one earned run in three innings. Norwich would succeed in manufacturing runs, loading up on base hits to set up sacrifices and singles to build a lead one run at a time. This would lead up to UConn’s Ryan Hyde’s seventh inning at bat, singling to bring two runs home to truly pull away from Nashua.

Salve Regina’s Zach Lopez got the start for Norwich, looking to impress. In a bumpy season for Lopez, he started to turn a corner on Sunday with his scoreless four and ⅓ frames giving him back-to-back shutout appearances. Holding Nashua to three hits, Lopez brought his ERA down over a whole two points.

After Lopez, Endicott’s Chris Jenkins would steal the show on the bump. Three and ⅔ scoreless frames with one hit and four strikeouts enhanced Norwich’s chances as they nursed a 4-0 lead after seven.

While the scoreboard shows otherwise, not all was lost at the plate for the Knights. Nichols’ Johnny Knox and UMass’ Will MacLean followed their big game at Brockton with two-hit afternoons on Sunday. Eastern Nazarene’s Shane McNamara would come off the bench to contribute a RBI sacrifice fly in the ninth to break the shutout, tying him for second on the team for RBIs with 19. Besides these few bright spots, it was otherwise a dark day for the Knights at the dish.

Norwich would take the Sunday matchup 4-1, with Nashua losing their five-game win streak and dropping their last game before the All-Star break. Silver Knights Kyle Wolff, Carmelo Musacchia, Nolan Lincoln, Will Andrews, and Jonah Wachter will all head to New Britain on Tuesday for the FCBL’s All-Star festivities. After the break, the Knights will be back on the road and head up to Burlington, VT to face the first place Lake Monsters on Wednesday.