Sunday wasn’t your ordinary day at hot and steamy Holman Stadium.

It was a Doyle Day.

As in Liam Doyle, the now former Pinkerton Academy lefty ace who just two weeks ago pitched the Astros to their first state title since 1986 and is now one of a group of quality starter for the Nashua Silver Knights.

You see, Doyle’s starts seem to be a Holman happening. Some, if they know it’s his turn in the rotation, come just to see him pitch.

“Thee’s been people who work for the city who ask me when he falls in the rotation, so they can come out that day,” Knights general manager Cam Cook said. “I think we’ve been fortunate both his starts have been at home. Someone who can put butts in the seats is unusual.

“And when he’s out there, he doesn’t look like he’s going into his freshman year. He’s very composed, he’s got that swagger about him, that this is just another baseball game going.”

“He had a great spring, a great school season,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “So obviously the name. You can revert back to when it was me (at Alvirne) or (Knights catcher Kyle) Lavigne’s brother (Grant). You have a big prospect, he’s going to a D-1 school.”

And people want to see him pitch. In Nashua, the interest really grew when he matched up vs. Nashua South’s Nolan Mederos in a classic pitcher’s duel at Holman in late April. It was then word was leaking out that the Silver Knights were hoping to get him for the summer before he heads to Division I Coastal Carolina.

He has yet to allow a run in two starts totaling 10 innings. He’s also only given up two hits – both yesterday. The first was a misplayed fly ball in center that should have been easily caught, and the other was an infield hit deep along the line at third.

Doyle knows he has a following. In fact, a few Pinkerton fans were on hand as part of Sunday’s predictable small crowd (790) with the heat and left when he was done after five.

“It’s awesome,” Doyle said after Sunday’s 5-2 win. “I have a great baseball family here in New Hampshire and it’s awesome. And I know a lot of people are going to follow me down south to watch me play in college.

“It’s great having family and people I can depend on to come to my games and support me. It’s awesome.”

The Liam Doyle they’ve seen at times doesn’t look like the strikeout machine he was at Pinkerton, but he’s still steady. There’s a few reasons for that. One is the baseball at this level is different than what they use in high school, so he has had trouble gripping the baseball.

“He’s having problems with the ball, he’s not used to the thinner seams,” Jackson said. “That’s what’s good that you show up here. You learn how to feel the grip of the baseball. It’s only going to get thinner and thinner as you move up.

“It’s a lesson for him, and he’s got to learn not getting into so many deep counts. That’s what’s killing him not getting to the sixth. He’s fine in the fifth, but when you’re throwing 77 (pitches) through five, it’s tough.”

Doyle knows it, and is usuing his bullpens during the week to get used to it. “I’ll throw a few more pens, definitely from last week to this week, just have to keep going with them.”

Sunday Doyle had to pitch, not just throw hard. He only struck out four. This experience is only going to make him better.

“This will definitely prepare me for college,” Doyle said. “Every team has a lineup one through nine, there’s no easy outs, definitely a change from high school. Definitely can’t overpower that many people, so have to locate, have to pitch pitch – not just blow people away.”

His teammates know what they have. As first baseman Kyle Wolff said, “He’s the real deal.” Heck, even the umpires like his poise; Sunday’s home plate ump Jeff Kleiner gave the kid a pat on the back for a good job as they literally crossed paths when Doyle was leaving the mound to head to the dugout after what everyone knew was his last inning, the fifth. Mutual respect.

When’s his next start? That’s totally up in the air right now, as the rotation is in a state of flux. The Knights have a doubleheader on Tuesday and are also waiting for the return of early-season ace Bradyen Clark from dealing with a kidney stone. Doyle has joined a great group of starters that also includes veteran Josh Roberge and Concord’s Jonah Wachter, among others.

But don’t be too surprised if it’s Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at Holman vs. Pittsfield, a game which is set to be aired live on NESN. Teams usually like to throw their best, or one of their best, in those games.

The Silver Knights have a few big game pitchers, and you hope that 10-16 record improves so they’ll have more big games to throw them in.

More Doyle Days.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.

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