Knights

Photo: Kit Cleghorn/Nashua Silver Knights

After a fun Education Day at home, the Silver Knights set off to start their four-game road trip by first making a stop in Norwich, CT. Nashua took on the Sea Unicorns with Salem State’s Brock Pare and Siena College’s Alistair Morin facing off on the mound. Looking to start their road trip off well, Nashua fell to Norwich 4-8 on Thursday night.

Being the first time these two teams faced off this season, both teams brought their bats to the table. Pare and Morin both did not make it past the third inning, with the Knights and Sea Unicorns both putting up double digit hits in the ballgame.

Penn State’s Richie “The Straw That Stirs the Drink” Paltridge continued his consistent hitting with an RBI single in the first to bring home two runs. Mitchell College’s Hunter Yaworski cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, singling to left field to drive in a run. After one, the Knights held onto a 2-1 lead.

In the second inning, Nashua kept the base paths busy just like the first as Salve Regina’s Matt D’Amato brought a run in via a sacrifice fly. Norwich would not stay quiet though, with another Yaworski RBI single and UConn’s Jackson Ferrigno zipping around the bases for an RBI triple. After three, it was all tied up three apiece.

Both offenses cooled off after their hot start to the game, going scoreless in the next two frames. Goose eggs remained on the scoreboard until Bryant University’s Zac Zyons broke the dry spell with an RBI single to right field. After six innings of play, Norwich had their first lead of the ballgame.

Nashua’s offense remained in a dry spell through the seven and eighth, while the Sea Unicorns found themselves on the other end of the spectrum. Norwich posted a four spot in the bottom of the seventh and took command of the ballgame from there. Mitchell College’s Bo Yaworski, brother of Hunter, left his mark in the box score with a two RBI single in Norwich’s four run inning. With the tag team duo of the Yaworski brothers crushing the ball on offense, the pressure was on the Knights to respond.

Down 3-8, it started to look bleak for Nashua. After an out to start the inning, the game looked to be about wrapped up until UMass Amherst’s Will MacLean doubled and Boston College’s Kyle Wolff singled to make things interesting. Paltridge notched his second hit of the night with a single to give the Silver Knights the bases loaded. With only one out and the bases juiced, Colby College’s Pat McConnell came up big by drawing a walk to bring home a run. Unfortunately, the ninth inning magic ended right there, and the Knights dropped one to the Sea Unicorns, 8-4.

A night for the Silver Knights that screamed “close, but no cigar.” A hot start for the offense quickly turned into leaving runners on base and getting nothing going for the rest of the game. Nashua’s pitching showed flashes of greatness but was not able to get the big outs when it mattered most. Fans saw glimpses of winning baseball from the Silver Knights, but they could not sustain it long enough to win the ballgame.

Nashua will stay in Connecticut for Friday’s matchup against the New Britain Bees, with first pitch at 6:35 PM. Norwich will head north to Worcester to take on the Bravehearts with a 6:30 PM start time.