Knights

Thursday, July 25, 2024

By: Dan Allison | Silver Knights media relations

It was a make-or-break morning for the Silver Knights on Thursday. Not only was the team looking for a win to set the vibes right for the charity exhibition matchup at Holman later that evening, but a Wednesday loss to the 6-20 Road Warriors left Nashua in bitter spirits. Luckily, the Knights got just what the doctor ordered in a massive come-from-behind victory 9-8 in Worcester.

Nashua stayed in the fight after an eight-run seventh inning from the Bravehearts flipped the morning matchup upside down as the Knights led 4-0 up until that point. They responded to the ‘Hearts seventh frame blitz with four in the eight to tie it up 8-8 and send it to extras. 

SNHU’s Nater Wachter and Shane McNamara led the comeback for the Knights, as the two Penmen combined for three hits and three RBI on the night. Wachter started the rally with a solo shot for his first of the year, as Shane doubled home three runs to square it back up.

Despite needing the late-game rally, it was the Silver Knights who were in the driver's seat for the majority of the ballgame. Nashua was able to open the scoring off FCBL top pitcher and Endicott’s Brady Stuart, as Central Michigan’s Drew Loikits knocked an RBI single in the opening inning.

Northeastern’s Cam Keaveney was excellent in his sixth start, tossing four innings of scoreless baseball with a season-high six strikeouts on two hits. Endicott’s Matt Pappalardo was able to cruise through the fifth and sixth with five punchouts, as Nashua added three more thanks to an RBI base hit from Keaveney’s college teammate in AJ Aschettino and a second RBI knock from Loikits.

The Knights were in cruise control heading into the bottom of the seventh until things took a turn for the worst. Eight runs off Pappalardo and AIC’s Anderson Cuello Batista on seven hits and an error in the frame propelled Worcester to an 8-4 lead in a stunning turn of events.

Nashua, in back-to-back games, was in shock. But unlike Wednesday, the Knights muscled up to the challenge to send the game to extras. 

Starting with a man on second, the ghost runner Wachter moved around the bases until coming across to score on a wild pitch. Nashua led 9-8 for their first lead since the 4-0 ballgame.

UMass Lowell’s Andres Hulfachor, who held off the Bravehearts in the ninth, was tasked with closing out the extra-inning win. Worcester advanced their ghost runner on productive outs but after a strikeout of Siena’s Owen Pincince, Hulfachor was able to roll over Florida Atlantic’s Dylan LaPointe for the final out of the emphatic win.

A refreshing win has the Knights now at 23-27 ahead of a weekend set at home. After the WarDogs exhibition match-up on Thursday, the Silver Knights will be back in FCBL play with a Friday meeting against the Rox. Nashua and Brockton are set for a 6:00 PM first pitch.