Mother Nature has taken away from the Nashua Silver Knights, but it also has given back.

Monday’s game in Pittsfield, Mass., against the Sun was called due to rain in the bottom of the eighth with Nashua leading 3-0, thus giving the Silver Knights their first win of the year.

Pittsfield was threatening at the time, but the mound conditions at Waconah Park contributed to that. Knights reliever Cole Warren had a 3-0 count on a hitter with runners at second and third when the game was called.

Remember, Nashua’s festive season opener scheduled for last Friday at Holman Stadium was rained out. Monday, there wasn’t much doubt the game was done when the umpires stopped play. The contest had been played in a constant drizzle until the rain picked up late.

“It was because of the field conditions and the forecast,” Silver Knights manager J.P. Pyne said. “We waited 10 minutes and they called it. Cole couldn’t grip the baseball and there was no solid footing to push off on the mound.”

The Silver Knights got a great pitching performance from Alek Morency. The Nashua native (Merrimack College) pitched six shutout innings, allowing just one hit with eight strikeouts while walking two.

The game’s other hero was Jimmy Ricoy (UMass-Lowell), who beat his former Suns team with an RBI groundout in the sixth and solo homer in the top of the eighth. He had more success in shaking off any rust than Chris Good, who struggled in Saturday night’s season-opening 9-6 loss at Brockton.

“He pitched really well,” Pyne said of Morency. “When you’re talking about Alek, he’s going to come right after you. Chris, with his changeup and off-speed stuff, it’s tougher to get back into it and get his timing down after a lot of time (a month) off.

“We pitched well and took care of the baseball. If we do that consistently, we’ll be a tough team to beat.”

Opening loss

Nashua lost Saturday when Londonderry’s Geoff Fisher (UMass-Lowell) surrendered a tiebreaking three-run homer to Brockton’s Rob McCunney on what Pyne called “a cutter that stayed straight.” Good lasted just three-plus innings, giving up five runs (three earned).

“I think we showed a lot of heart,” Pyne said. “One of the things that was great about last year’s championship team was the closeness and how everyone pulled for each other.

“Down 5-1 in the fifth, one the road, with a bunch of guys who haven’t played together, it would’ve been easy to pack it in. But we battled back.”

The Silver Knights were led offensively by Matt Sanchez, who had a two hits, including a double and an RBI

Up early

The Silver Knights have become morning people, but not by choice. Monday’s game in Pittsfield was a 10:30 a.m. start, and that meant about a 6 a.m. bus departure from Holman. After playing Tuesday night at Old Orchard, the team has to rise and shine for an 11 a.m. Education Day game at Holman Stadium vs. Wachusett.

“At tne end of the day, we’re getting up early to go play a baseball game,” Pyne said. “It’s not like we’re going to work in a coal mine.”

Notes

• Pyne was impressed with the play of Cabral at first base, especially since he’s a converted catcher. “He made two or three picks that were tough and were great,” he said.

• This was Brockton’s first win over Nashua ever in the FCBL. The Silver Knights won all five regular season games between the two as well as the two semifinal playoff games in 2012.

• Nashua visits Old Orchard for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, with Matt Tulley (Virginia Tech) taking the mound. Merrimack High School product Tom Hudon (St. Anselm) is slated to start Wednesday.

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