Knights

Photo: Kailey Lane/Nashua Silver Knights

Just over a week ago, the Nashua Silver Knights welcomed in the first place Vermont Lake Monsters for two straight games. Nashua, nursing a lengthy win streak at the time, got the job done with two victories against the Lake Monsters in their eventual nine game win streak. Now with the Lake Monsters coming to town for a two-game stretch once again, the Knights look to succeed on the other side of the spectrum as they look to avoid a potential losing streak in the making.

Unfortunately for the Knights, the team could not rekindle their past success against Vermont on Saturday night in a 3-1 loss. While the box score might show a loss, Saturday’s showdown fell Nashua’s way for almost all the way through.

Salem State’s Brock Pare got the start on the bump for the Knights and had arguably his best showing yet. While consistency issues played a part with four walks getting him into jams, the Lowell, Massachusetts product stayed the course with only two hits in his first scoreless outing of the season.

While Pare was putting up goose eggs on Vermont’s side of the board, Nashua was mirroring their offensive production with no runs coming across for either team in the first five innings. Both teams were having success at the plate but couldn’t bring anyone home, with the Knights leaving runners in scoring position four out of the first five innings. Vermont had similar woes, stranding runners including a crucial bases loaded double play to leave the game at 0-0.

In the sixth, the Silver Knights offense would finally draw first blood. Two singles and a walk set up a big opportunity for Nashua’s big bat in Boston College’s Kyle Wolff. While the Holman fans were getting geared up for something huge, Wolff left his bat on his shoulder in a four pitch at bat to walk home the first run of the ballgame.

Heading into the eighth, the Knights were looking to scrape by with their one run lead in a chess match of a ballgame. After Worcester State’s Cole Glassburn showed out in his two and ⅔ innings of relief, manager Kyle Jackson called upon Plymouth State’s Noah Wachter to get the job done and head to the ninth.

In a change of plans from Nashua’s blueprint, Vermont’s bats reintroduced themselves to the Knights in explosive fashion. Back-to-back blasts by Virginia’s Harrison Didawick and Trinity’s Brian Schaub ignited the Lake Monster dugout and left Holman Stadium in shock. In the blink of an eye, it was 2-1 Vermont.

Another run would end up coming across in the top of the ninth, leaving the Knights to try and rally back from the two-run deficit. A leadoff single by Eastern Nazarene’s Shane McNamara looked to give Nashua some promise, but alas, three straight outs following him ended a game of missed opportunities for the Knights in a 3-1 loss.

Dropping their second in a row, Nashua will look to avoid getting swept in their weekend homestand with a Sunday afternoon matchup against Vermont. First pitch is set for 3:00 PM for Game 2 between the two teams.