Silver Knights bow to New Britain as playoff race heats up
Telegraph photo by TOM KING Nashua starting pitcher Jack Dicenso, shown here last week, started Wednesday night for Nashua, giving up three runs over four innings in a no-decision. The Silver Knights fell to New Britain, 6-4 at Holman Stadium.
NASHUA – So here’s the deal as we head into the final week of the 2020 abbreviated Futures Collegiate League season:
There’s Worcester (20-12), Nashua (20-13) and Brockton (17-16). Two of those three will make the FCBL playoffs, and there’s six games left.
The race can have you looking in a couple of directions. Nashua, which fell to New Britain 6-4 Wednesday night at Holman Stadium, hosts Worcester today at 6 p.m. and the winner will leave the historic park in first place.
The loser will be looking over its shoulder at the Rox, who have won four in a row to climb back into the conversation. The Silver Knights visit the Rox on Friday in what could be a huge game.
But Nashua manager Kyle Jackson won’t clutter his mind with all that, or his players’ minds either. Instead they care about one thing – winning.
“The guys come out to play every day, they want to win every day,” Jackson said. “We’re a team, we don’t like to lose. Tomorrow they’re going to come out ready to play.”
They looked ready last night, putting a three-spot on the board in the third inning against Bees starter Drew Mead. A Nate Cormier sac fly, Brady Day RBI double, and Dom Keegan RBI single gave the Knights a 3-0 lead. But that was it until Keegan hit a solo homer in the ninth, his team-high eighth on the year to go with his league-leading 38 RBIs.
“They played a good game,” Jackson said of the Bees. “Their starter, we got to him in the third, but he got into a bunch of jams. Kudos to him for bearing down. He made some pitches to get out of some big spots.
“Our guys did too. We didn’t put it all together today. You play tomorrow.”
New Britain, at 13-20, doesn’t have too many tomorrows left, but you couldn’t tell as they rallied to tie it off Knights starter Jack Dicenso, the key blow Ryan Bagdasarian’s two-run single.
“He didn’t have his best stuff but he got out of some jams,” Jackson said.
Dicenso didn’t get the loss, however. That went to Jake Thibault, who gave up the go-ahead run in the fifth on a wild pitch.
New Britain added runs in the eighth and ninth on solo homers by Tony Socci and Daniel Rivera.
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Wednesday night was infielder Day’s last game, and tonight is likely third baseman Luke Beckstein’s final one. They both are leaving for Kansas State, and have to quarantine for 14 days once they arrive at school.
Same for Knights reliever Steve Miller (Penn State) and Keegan (Vanderbilt), and their last game is up in the air.
Keegan may or may not be able to play for the final time on Saturday vs. North Shore. That game was moved from 1 p.m. to 4:35 p.m. as NESN is televising it, and they have to televise the Bruins playoff game vs. Carolina Saturday at noon.
“They’re going to let me know (today) what their schedule is,” Jackson said of Miller and Keegan. “They won’t be here for the playoffs anyway; the team knows that. I’m not worried.”
Jackson says the infield void can be filled by Nate Cormier, Lucas Stalman and Max Viera.
“We’ve got guys who can fill their spots,” he said.
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Tonight Pat Harrington (0-1, 3.12) is slated to get the start….
Friday’s starter at Brockton should be Joe Quintal; Quintal, as Jackson said he would, pitched an inning of relief last night, a scoreless frame with two strikeouts.


