Knights

Silver Knights walk off Bravehearts in 3-2 win

Mark Colley

A scorching Sunday afternoon ended in victory for the Nashua Silver Knights, who walked off the Worcester Bravehearts 3-2 for their second consecutive win and third in the last four games.

Kyle Hannon hit a bloop single in the bottom of the ninth to break the 2-2 tie. While Saturday’s win was all about the bats — the Silver Knights exploded for a season-high 12 runs and 15 hits against the Norwich Sea Unicorns — the game Sunday was a battle between two pitching staffs.

Worcester starter Carson Hauben went four innings and allowed one unearned run. But for Nashua, potential disaster struck early when starter Nick Remy spent parts of the first inning keeled over behind the mound, throwing up what manager Kyle Jackson said was a Monster Remy drunk before the game.

Remy left in the top of the second, leaving Nashua’s bullpen the unenviable task of finishing out the game.

But reliever Shea Ryan pitched 3.2 phenomenal innings, striking out six with no walks and only two hits allowed, and the rest of the bullpen — Gabe Driscoll, Joe Nastasi, George Welch, Noah Wachter and Ryan Murphy — combined for four innings of one-run ball.

“It could’ve been a long day for the ‘pen,” Jackson said, adding that he’s still seeing what he has from relievers and has no set closer. “Worcester’s a great team. They hit it no matter what. They’re not gonna give up, just like we won’t, so to have them do it feels great.”

While catcher Craig Corliss scored Nashua’s first two runs and the team led 2-1 heading into the top of the ninth, a triple laced over the first base bag by Worcester second baseman Dakota Harris tied the game. It opened the door for Hannon’s walk-off in the bottom of the ninth.

Hannon said he knew the Bravehearts’ pitcher wasn’t throwing many strikes, so he took the first two pitches — both balls — and sat on a fastball. He blooped it into left field and Mike Maher scored from second base.

“We knew the hits were gonna come,” Hannon said. “As a team, we started putting more barrels on the ball [and] better swings on it … When you do the little things right, big things turn out in the game.”

The approach Nashua found so successful Saturday night — going the other way and not trying to do too much with pitches — worked again on Sunday. The Silver Knights haven’t homered since Friday, a purposeful change in the goal of at-bats.

Nashua has two off-days before returning to action on Wednesday at Holman Stadium against the Sea Unicorns. First pitch is scheduled for 6 pm.