Knights

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

By: Dan Allison | Silver Knights media relations

Just days removed from Nashua’s hottest stretch of the season, the Silver Knights were back at square one in a backbreaking 2-1 loss versus the Futures League Road Warriors. An offense that put up 35 runs over the weekend was held to one in the pitcher's duel, now falling to 22-27 on the season.

Hopes were high entering Wednesday’s matchup, with a four-game winning streak aiding Nashua’s last possible run at a playoff spot. Against the 6-20 Warriors, vibes were high for a fifth straight victory. 

Northeastern’s Andrew Rogovic made his season debut for Nashua, showing off impressive stuff in his first start. Rogovic struck out five in two and ⅔ frames, but an unearned run came across on a pivotal error. 

UMass Lowell’s River Hart kept his all-star campaign going with an RBI knock in the second to open up the scoring. An early lead was cut short via the miscue coming in the top of the third, with a slugfest brewing at Holman. 

Colby’s Thomas Rioux followed Rogovic in his usual long relief role in the middle innings and shined. He tossed three and ⅓ innings of scoreless baseball on just three hits, keeping things at a deadlock in his third scoreless outing in his last four. 

Assumption’s Mike Crowley took on the seventh after Rioux in the tied game, but things took a turn quickly. With two outs in the inning, a single from Bowdoin’s Liam Foley sent in a runner coming from second. A laser from the right fielder Shane McNamara beat the runner in UMass Dartmouth’s Marcus Ollivierre, but he got under the tag for the go-ahead run.

In a state of shock, the Silver Knights needed a late-game rally to save their streak and avoid breaking the Warriors’ six-game losing streak. Despite getting eight hits, men left on base haunted Nashua with 11 runners stranded. 

In the ninth, Hart placed a one-out double into the gap to spark energy inside the ballpark. Hart worked his way to third on a flyout, leaving it up to the new Silver Knight in Rutgers’ Owen McCoach to tie the ballgame.

Giving a scrappy at-bat, McCoach struck out swinging to end a night that included a lackluster offensive performance. Needing to tap back into their winning ways from last week, the Silver Knights will head to Worcester for a morning meeting against the Bravehearts.

Nashua and Worcester are set for a 10:30 AM start on Thursday night.