Telegraph photo by TOM KING Former Bishop Guertin standout Stephen McLendon made his first mound appearance in over a year for the Nashua Silver Knights on Sunday at Holman Stadium.

Here come the Rox.

It’s now an official race for the Futures Collegiate League playoff spots, as Brockton made things tighter with Friday night’s 6-4 win over the Nashua Silver Knights at Campanelli Stadium.

Nashua’s third loss in a row has closed the Rox (18-17) to within two games of the final spot with four to play, one of those being a rematch in Brockton Sunday. The Knights are now 20-15, and remain a game and a half behind first place Worcester, which fell to North Shore last night as well. Two of those three teams will make it.

Ironically, Nashua pitcher Joe Quintal, who had been struggling as a starter, was originally slated to start Friday but later in the week asked to stay in the bullpen after a scoreless frame on Wednesday.

But Quintal, coming out of the pen, ended up taking the loss as he gave up four runs, three earned, over 1.2 innings on four hits, walking one and striking out two. He followed Bishop Guertin alum Stephen McLendon, who pitched well in his first Silver Knights start, giving up one run on two hits, walking one and strikong out two.

McLendon left with Nashua up 2-1 thanks to Nick Shumski’s two-run homer.

Enter Quintal in the fourth, and Brockton struck for three runs. Buddy Dewaine got things started with a one-out double, and a walk and single later, the Rox had the bases loaded. J.P. Knight brought all three runners home with a a three-run double and Brockton took a 4-2 lead.

It was too much of an uphill climb for Nashua the rest of the way. The Knights cut it to 4-3 as Jared Dupere singled in a run in the fifth, but Brockton got that run back in the bottom half (unearned) on Dewaine’s second double of the game, scoring Jacob Studley. Studley reached on a costly two-out error by third baseman Nate Cormier. Nashua’s regular third baseman, Luke Beckstein, is headed to Kansas State this weekend along with another infielder, Brady Day.

The teams traded runs again in the sixth, but that wasn’t enough for Nashua. Max Viera singled in Jack Arend to cut the Rox lead to 5-4, but Brockton got that back as well in the bottom half on a solo homer by Knight off the third Silver Knights pitcher of the night, Gabe Driscoll.

Shumski went 2 for 3 with a run and two RBIs, while Troy Schreffler, Jr. went 2 for 5 with a run and Viera 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI to lead the Knights.

Nashua is back at Holman Stadium today at 4:30 p.m. vs. North Shore, in a game being televised live by NESN. The game had originally been moved from 6 to 1 p.m. to accommodate the broadcast, but got moved again as NESN has to televise the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Playoff game vs. Carolina at noon.

It’s possible Nashua will send righty Griffin Young (3-1, 1.20) to the mound. Young has been a reliever much of the season but this would be his third start if he is indeed the choice.

Either way, it’s in the Silver Knights hands as they have a two-game lead.

“It has been since Day One,” Knights manager Kyle Jackson said the other night.

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