The Nashua Silver Knights dropped a road game to the Vermont Lake Monsters on Wednesday night at Centennial Field, falling 9-6 to slip to 2-5 on the season.
Nashua got on the board first in the top of the first when Hunter Troiano (Gannon) scored on an RBI single to center by Nate Kearney (Stonehill). Vermont came back with three in the third, two of them unearned, on a James Schaffer (Stony Brook) single, an RBI single from Elias Huber (Arizona Western), and a wild pitch that scored Huber. Jack Fitzgerald (Montevallo) took over from there, going deep to right in the fifth for a two-run shot with Jake Lopez (Seton Hall) aboard, then doubling down the right field line in the sixth to score James Schaffer and Bryan Richman (Cal Poly Pomona) and push the lead to 7-1.
Nashua showed some fight in the seventh, plating five runs. AJ Kolb (Towson) and Peter Fischer (Saint Anselm) were on base when Max Dantoni (Lehigh) singled to shortstop to score Robby Grasso (Lehigh). Hunter Troiano (Gannon) followed with a two-run single to left-center, scoring Kolb and Fischer. A pair of Vermont wild pitches then brought home Dantoni and Troiano to cap the five-run inning and cut it to 7-6. Fitzgerald had the last word, connecting for a two-run shot to left in the eighth with Richman on base to put it away.
Dimitri Skourides (Brandeis) took the loss, falling to 0-1 after allowing three runs, one earned, over three innings. Declan Wilkes (Lehigh), Colten Shaffer (Millersville), and Brandon Metivier (Bellarmine) each followed out of the bullpen. Joe Dunham (Hobart) started for Vermont and worked four innings. Kaiden McCarthy picked up the win to improve to 1-0, and Brandon Rovinelli (Columbia) closed it out for his first save of the year.
Nashua managed seven hits but left seven on base and could not find the big hit when it mattered, with Phoenix Williams (Mount St. Mary’s), Connor Smith (Gannon), and Peter Keblinsky (Southern Maine) going a combined 0-for-11. Hudson Story (Bryant) entered as a pinch hitter late but could not extend the rally.
With the loss, the Silver Knights fall to 2-5 and will look to bounce back Friday night when they host the Worcester Bravehearts at Holman Stadium for a 6:03 first pitch, with Will Perkowski (Dayton) expected to take the mound.
