Knights

Thursday, July 6, 2023

By: Dan Allison | Silver Knights media relations

An eleven-run blowout victory in Brockton had the Knights returning to Holman Stadium riding high on a three-game winning streak. But as they tried to keep the momentum rolling for back-to-back home games to end the work week, a 7-0 hole was too much for the Knights to climb back from as New Britain gave Nashua a rude awakening with a 7-5 victory.

While the scoreboard may not show it, the Knights remained hitless for over half of this contest as the combined New Britain no-hitter was broken in the eighth. Penn’s Jake Moss and Yale’s Tate Evans tossed a combined seven hitless innings with seven total strikeouts. 

On the other side of the frame, things were not panning out for the Knights as well. Nashua would give up seven runs on ten hits, down 7-0 at one point in the ballgame. Two crucial misplays in the field gave the Bees two runs in the third. Thursday’s contest sat a 2-0 for the majority until New Britain exploded for a five-run eighth. 

Down seven runs, the Holman faithful felt low with the game inching to a close. Yet, despite being no-hit for seven frames, the Nashua offense was revived. Eastern Nazarene’s Shane McNamara led off the eighth with a single to right, opening what would end up being a three-run inning for the Knights. 

Vanderbilt’s Cam Kozeal brought McNamara home to score with a deep double to center, as Clark’s Ryan Caulfield and New England College’s Luca Giallongo added on with a single and triple after Kozeal.

In the ninth, with a pulse back in the Nashua dugout, the Knights looked to pull off the most improbable of comebacks. Colby’s Brady O’Brien would reach on a one-out single, bringing up the man who started it all back in the eighth in McNamara. 

On the second pitch Shane saw, he would fly one to left that carried just enough to leave. McNamara’s third home run of the year would spark the Holman crowd, with the Knights just a bloop and a blast away from a tied ballgame.

Despite the offensive revival, the Knights would not be able to keep the inning alive and New Britain would escape with the 7-5 victory. Dropping their first game of the homestand, the Knights will have to bounce back quick with a big matchup against Vermont set for Friday night.

Nashua and the Lake Monsters are set for a 6:00 PM first pitch on Friday at Holman Stadium.