Norwich's TJ Keefe waits for the umpire's call (safe) while Nashua infielder Kyle Hannon reaches for the ball at second during the Sea Unicorns' 3-0 win on Sunday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Kyle Jackson could probably use any tape of Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Norwich before a Father’s Day crowd of 1,003 at Holman Stadium to show the reason why the Nashua Silver Knights are 6-14.

“I’m kind of frustrated,” Jackson said. “I hear a lot of complaining about the consistency of the strike zone but it goes both ways, it was the same thing for our pitchers.

“I’m just tired of excuses about the umpires. It just comes back to simple baseball.”

And that means moving runners over and getting them home. The Knights had a runner on second base in every inning on Sunday, matched the Sea Unicorns hit for hit, but still came out on the short end of the score.

The difference? Two Norwich singles in the fourth off Knights starter Aidan Crowley that led to a Tremayne Cobb sac fly, and then a two-run hit by Bryan Loriga off reliever Ryan Hohmann after there were two out and nobody on.

The way Nashua is hitting – well, make that not hitting – one run looks like five most of the time.

It’s the same deal for Nashua, as many of the Knights hitters won’t take the approach of lacing the ball to the opposite field. And pitchers, as the four Norwich used yesterday with Cameron Varney (five innings) getting the win and Kalib Clark the save in the ninth, are often living on the outside corner.

“No one’s willing to give up their at bat and change their approach to go the other way,” Jackson said. “I said ‘We’re struggling getting runs across and I’m bunting in the fifth just to try something.’ So it’s ‘I’m trying, why don’t you try.'”

Jackson’s message was delivered in an animated talk on the field before Kids Run The Bases plus a special Play Catch With Dad period.

The Silver Knights have today off before Vermont returns for a two-game set Tuesday and Wednesday at Holman. Right now Nashua’s hitters, in his mind, need to catch up to the pitchers.

“The pitchers have figured it out,” Jackson said. “Crowley (5.2 innings, three runs on five hits, but zero walks and seven strikeouts) pitched a heckuva game. Hohmann came in there, got behind in the count and give up a hit up the middle (by Loriga) but settled down the next two innings.”

Nashua had two on in the seventh but came up empty, Logan Ott led off with a double in the eighth and two outs later Nick Perkins got hit by a pitch, but Kyle Hannon went down swinging.

Sometimes luck has played into it, too – the lefty swinging Perkins missed an extra base hit in the left field corner foul by two feet. Earlier Hannon hit a rope to third that a leaping Cobb grabbed.

But in the last two innings, Nashua struck out four times – three looking.

“Way too many opportunities,” Jackson said, “to put the pressure on them and not us.

“We’re always behind. At end of the day, take their day off and regroup, because I don’t want to lose.”