Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua catcher Ed Jarvis reaches to tag Brockton's Evan Sleight out at the plate in the first inning of the Rox's 2-1 win Friday night at Holman Stadium.

NASHUA – There would usually be fireworks at Holman Stadium on the night before the Fourth.

But, to help keep crowds down, the Silver Knights aren’t putting them on this year. And thus far there’s no spark at the plate, either.

Nashua managed just four hits in a tough 2-1 loss Friday night to the Brockton Rox in front of 572 fans, and the offense after two games (six hits total) has been simply anemic.

“I think we just have to get a rhythm,” said Nashua first baseman Dom Keegan, who was the exception with two hits, including a double, and a run scored. “Get a couple of games under our belts, some at bats and I think we’ll be good, be alright.”

The pitching has been more than all right, it’s been solid. But the lack of hitting has meant little or no margin for error. Thus when Jordan Hiscoe – yes, the former Bishop Guertin football standout, now at AIC – plunked two straight hitters to force home a run to tie the game 1-1 in the fifth, that hurt.

And when another reliever, Jack Kramer, issued two walks and gave up an RBI single to Rox shortstop Jake Gelof in the eighth to give Brockton a 2-1 lead, it felt like 10-1.

“We played great,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “I don’t think any team is hitting. They (the Rox) only had five hits. They had a timely hit on (Gelof’s single), and we gave them a hit by pitch. There’s nothing wrong. … Everyone has to get their jitters out. The hitters are seeing all pitches, and the league has increased the quality of pitchers. The kids are having fun, they’re still out there competing.”

It certainly was fun when Nashua outfielders cut down Rox runners at home plate and third in the first two innings. Right fielder Jake Dupere gunned down Brockton’s Evan Slight at home trying to score on a sac fly in the first. Then, in the second, Knights left fielder Ben Rounds got Rox runner J.P. Knight at third trying to advance on a fly ball that looked like it had scored Mike Khoury. But the umpires waved off Khoury’s run, saying Knight was out before Khoury crossed the plate. Bang-bang.

“We had a talk after last night’s game that we’ve got to throw it through our cutoffs,” Jackson said. “Throw it through your cut so in case anything happens, and it works. We’re not giving extra bases away. … They’re all going to compete, they’re all trying to win.”

Nashua, meanwhile, took its first lead of the season in the bottom of the second when Keegan doubled, went to third on a Ben Rounds single, and scored when Troy Schreffler, Jr. hit into a double play.

But that was it. The Silver Knights (0-2) put two on in the third and fourth but two other double plays killed those chances. Kramer (0-1) took the loss while Brockton reliever Jack Garcia tossed three scoreless frames, fanning five, to get the win. It was the season opener for the Rox.

The Knights have today off and will be back at it Sunday, hosting Worcester at 3 p.m. at Holman.

To prove Jackson’s point about no one hitting, the two teams combined to strike out 30 times. But Nashua pitchers issued nine walks and hit two batters.

“I’m giving them this first week to get the jitters out and get their timing right,” Jackson said of the entire team, not just the offense. “They’re all having fun, that’s what matters. They’re playing baseball.”

Have faith, says Keegan.

“We’ll get there,” he said. “Just a couple more days.”

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A Nashua highlight last night was reliever Brandon Dufault striking out five of the six hitters he faced…

FCBL commissioner Joe Paolucci was in attendance last night. He had gone to New Britain on Thursday…

This was the only game in the FCBL last night, as New Britain and Westfield were rescheduled for July 9….

A third straight pitcher from Bedford will start for Nashua on Sunday. Joe Quintal tossed four scoreless frames last night.

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