Knights

Photo: Kailey Lane/Nashua Silver Knights

Following the Silver Knights two straight road losses on Thursday and Friday, Nashua shipped up to Burlington, Vermont to take on the scorching hot Lake Monsters in a two-game series. Vermont, who started the season 0-3, now sits at 11-3 and is on an eleven-game winning streak.

Looking to get out of the cellar of the FCBL standings, the Knights would need to try the Lake Monsters incredible win streak. Alas to no avail, Nashua lost 5-4 with the Monsters winning streak going to twelve games.

Tulane University’s Jonah Wachter was set to take the mound for the Knights. Wachter delivered the best Silver Knight starter performance of the year last time out, pitching six innings of shutout baseball. With his first start coming against the second place Westfield Starfires, Wachter will have to try and suppress another FCBL leading team.

Vermont sent Tufts University’s Silas Reed to the bump to start the ballgame. Vermont, who usually dawns the Lake Monster green and blue, traded in their usual colors for navy and red as the team honored the Vermont Expos who used to play in their very own Centennial Stadium.

In the top of the first, Vanderbilt’s Ray Velasquez started things early for Nashua by doubling to center field with Salve Regina’s Matt D’Amato scoring all the way from first. After taking a brief 1-0 lead, Clarkson’s Colby Brouillette proved why he was in the cleanup spot for the Lake Monsters by smoking a home run to left center to make it 1-1 after two.

In the third, Penn State’s Richie Paltridge continued to take the title of hottest bat on the team. Paltridge, who has put up RBIs in his last four consecutive games, kept the streak going with his first home run of the year coming in the third. D’Amato once again found his way aboard ahead of Paltridge, representing three runs on the night along with his two hits. After the two-run blast, it was 3-1 Nashua.

Jonah Wachter once again came out hot for Nashua. Despite the solo homer, Wachter shoved eight strikeouts and did not give up another run in the first five innings of the game. As the game headed to the sixth inning, that is when things started to unravel for the Knights pitching staff.

After back-to-back hits to start the inning, Wachter’s night was done. Plymouth State’s Noah Wachter, Jonah’s Brother, came in to help try and get out of the jam for his bro. After a quick first strikeout and RBI sacrifice fly to start the relief appearance, Noah looked to finish this inning with the lead intact at 3-2. But after the quick first two outs, Vermont rallied to take the lead. U.S. Naval Academy’s Logan Keller singled to tie the game up. One wild pitch later and the Lake Monsters found themselves in the lead 4-3 after six.

Tufts University’s Jimmy Evans continued the scoring for Vermont in the seventh, singling to center field to bring home a run. With the Lake Monsters creating some wiggle room between them, the Knights now had six outs to try and come back.

In the top of the eighth, who else but Richie Paltridge closed the gap to one run by doubling to right to bring home a run. Heading to the ninth down 5-4, Nashua would need some late game magic to try and tie this thing up. Colby College’s Pat McConnell started the inning with a single, setting him up to be the potential tying run. After McConnell’s hit, the Knights couldn’t bring him home as the next three batters all were outs.

A tough loss for the Knights pushes their season record to 4-10. To call Saturday’s performance by Nashua a “disappointment” would not be fair. Obviously, the win is the priority, but the Knights were playing better baseball than we've seen in the last couple days. Nashua’s lineup was playing well, with the first four hitters in the lineup all getting hits. Ray Velazquez got out of his funk and contributed early with a RBI. Richie Paltridge had a huge night as he looks like a potential FCBL all-star. Northeastern University’s Carmelo Musacchia made his Silver Knight debut with a 2-4 night.

Despite all this, Nashua still found themselves on the other side of the win column. Sometimes that is just how the cards are dealt, as the Knights even had more hits in the ballgame than Vermont. A tip of the cap goes to Vermont's bullpen with four different pitchers only giving up one run and four hits combined in their six innings pitched.

Nashua and Vermont will close out their two-game meeting with a 5:05 PM first pitch on Sunday. Vermont will look to extend their win streak to thirteen games as the Knights look to get a W before heading back home. Kansas’s Karter Muck is the probable starter for Vermont with the Knights starter slated to be Cole Glassburn.