Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua's John Mead scores in the fifth inning as the throw to Brockton catcher Cal Christofori during the Silver Knights 6-5 home run derby win Tuesday night at Holman Stadium.

NASHUA – They loved Dom’s bombs.

There’s nothing more polarizing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League than its use of the Home Run Derby to prevent extra innings.

One night you hate it, like the Nashua Silver Knights did this past Sunday, losing to Worcester. Two nights later, you may love it, like the Knights did Tuesday when Dom Keegan outdueled Brockton’s Jake Gelof 11-10 in the first such deciding derby ever at Holman Stadium.

“We’re never a big fan of the home run derby,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said, “but it saves the pitchers arms and it’s exciting for the fans. The home plate umpire said, ‘It’s a great way to win, and a crappy way to lose. …. It’s great for the fans, it’s a good win. It’s not how I want to win. … but a win’s a win.”

And it puts Nashua at 5-5 on the season. But how did the game, which had a 75 minute rain delay in the second inning, get to that point?

The teams were nip-tuck the entire night, and Nashua, down 4-2, rallied for three runs in the seventh to take a 5-4 lead on three hits, two walks and a sac fly. Keegan knocked in a run with a base hit, Luke Beckstein hit a sac fly and pinch hitter Jared Dupere lined a single to put Nashua up.

However, Brockton got a run in the ninth off Knights closer Chris Chaney, the sophomore from Maryland, when Buddy Dewaine hit a booming two-out triple into the right field corner, scoring Gelof. After a scoreless 10th, by rule the game went to the Derby. Three minutes for each hitter.

Keegan had hit in one other.

“My freshman year I was with the Navs, and we did it in Pittsfield,” Keegan said. “I only hit six in that one , though.”

Keegan got off to a slow start in this one after Gelof had his 10. But then he and his pitcher, Jack Arend, got into a rhythm and things clicked. He needed two time outs – you’re allowed three and two substitutions in the round. Jackson called the second time out with things even at 10.

“Coach called it, I needed it,”Keegan said. “There were only 20 seconds left, but I needed to get just one. It was fun.”

“I called the second one, he was getting tired,” Jackson said. “It’s a long three minutes.”

And a long shot by Keegan that went over the lower billboards in left with 18 seconds to go.

As Jackson said, a win’s a win.

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