Nashua Silver Knights infielder Matt Travisano leaps to snare the ball while Westfield's Luca Giallongo slides safely into second during the Starfires' 11-6 win Monday afternoon at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It was bad timing, and just a bad combination from the start.

Into Holman Stadium on Monday marched the Westfield Starfires, who had scored 45 runs in the season’s first four games.

And those bats were to face a Nashua Silver Knights pitching staff that had given up 21 runs in their previous two.

The result was predictable, as the Starfires banged out 18 hits and left Holman 11-6 winners before a holiday matinee crowd of 994.

Now 5-0, Westfield had jumped out to an 10-0 lead after the top of the fourth. Knights starter Avery Mosseau gave up three in the top of the first – although he struck out the side with the bases loaded to escape further damage. But the tone had been set, and now Nashua pitching has allowed 32 runs in its last three games, 39 for the first four.

“It starts with just the first inning, get out of the first inning clean,” Knights manager Kyle Jackson said, his team now 1-3. “The starters, they’ve been struggling to get out of the first or second inning. The starters, they set the tone. But you’re already in the hole before you even get up to bat.”

The Knights committed three errors, but all Westfield’s runs were earned. The Starfires are now hitting .341 as a team, slugging .463 and with OPS of .901.

Nashua’s team ERA right now is 7.27.

“It’s frustrating,” Jackson said. “The kids are battling in their at bats. They’re having good at-bats, putting runs on the board.”

Nashua did get 10 hits, led by Richie Paltridge who went 2 for 5 with two RBIs, and Jack Powers also had two hits.

But the Knights couldn’t match the firepower of Westfield’s Jackson Hornung, who went 4 for 6 with three runs scored and is now batting .650. And the Knights pitchers had trouble early with Cooper Johnson, who had two doubles and three RBIs in his first two at-bats.

The other problem was, after a tough walk-off loss at Brockton Sunday, the Knights were sluggish. This was the kind of game you don’t want to have in front of the home crowd on a hot day, and after Mosseau, Jackson brought in Adam Betty, and he was tatooed for six runs on seven hits.

“There was just a lack of energy today,” said Jackson. “They battled their butts off (on Sunday). The relievers have to come in ready to go.”

And maybe some will go. Some of the other players the Knights had been counting on are on their way, Jackson said. “A lot of the guys are starting to trickle in,” he said. “It’s starting to get a little more veteran.”

But the pitchers need to adjust.

“You might be able to get away with a 2-0, 3-1 fastball at Division III,” Jackson said. “But not here. When they realize you can’t throw an off-speed pitch, they’re going to sit on it.”

Nashua hits the road to face the Pittsfield Suns tonight before returning for four straight home games. Maybe this timing can be the opposite, because the Suns’ team ERA is the worst in the league, just over 10. Right now you’d want to choose the over.