New Silver Knights pitcher Liam Doyle struck out eight without allowing a hit over five innings in Nashua's 5-0 win over Pittsfield Sunday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – He was officially Knighted.

New Silver Knights pitcher Liam Doyle, after Nashua’s 5-0 win Sunday over Pittsfield at Holman Stadium, knelt in front of fellow Knights pitcher Aiven Cabral.

Cabral had a toy sword in his hands, and tapped it gently on both of Doyle’s shoulders, then handed him the sword to keep for the time being.

And why not? The now graduated, former Pinkerton Acadmy standout who pitched the Astros to their first state title since 1986 last weekend, returned to Holman for the first time since that classic vs. Nashua South back in late April and threw five no-hit innings. But he was at 75 pitches, and at this time of year no one is tossing more than five or six with the Knights or usually any other FCBL team as Nashua (8-13) continues to turn the corner with its fourth straight win.

“I think it was the right move,” said Doyle, who struck out eight while walking three and hitting a batter. “It was good just to get me out there and see some batters.”

“I know he threw a lot in high school,” Nashua manager Kyle Jackson said. “We’re going to talk, and it’s OK to let them put it in play, it’s OK to give up hits. You don’t have to try to strike out everybody. It’s when you get the opportunity to strike out guys, then you do it. But it was a good outing for him.”

And certainly an adjustment for the incoming Coastal Carolina freshman.

“Everyone in the lineup’s a good college hitter, so you’ve got to pitch them differently,” Doyle said. “I had a couple of walks so I have to get used to the new ball, it’s different from high school, too. I’ve got to throw strikes, got a really good defense behind me, that was the game plan.”

And the Knights did the trick offensively to entertain the Father’s Day crowd of 1,078, some of whom remained to play catch on the field after. Nashua started their half of the first with back to back doubles by Carmelo Mussachia and Zach Martin at the top of the order for the only run they’d need. Martin later scored on an error for a 2-0 Nashua lead.

They added two in the third on a Richie Paltridge RBI double and bases loaded walk to Jack Cooper, chasing Suns starter Jared Henry. They scrathed out one more run in the eighth on a Cooper single, wild pitch, and fielder’s choice.

Indeed, baseball is fun again as the team continues to put that recent six-game losing streak in the rear view mirror.

“It’s always fun,” Jackson said, “when you win.”

And get good pitching. Brandon Hsu tossed three innings of scoreless relief, helping himself by picking Pittsfield’s Drew Metzdorf off second.

“I saw him jumping around a little bit,” the Hollis Brookline alum/University of Rhode Island sophomore said with a grin. “I was just trying to throw zeroes up on the board, get it to Tyler to shut the door.”

That would be Plymouth State’s Tyler Wright of Concord, who pitched a one-two-three ninth with two strikeouts.

But the buzz was about Doyle, as it was all spring with the Astros.

“It’s really fun being here, I love the stadium, it’s probably my favorite stadium I’ve ever played at,” Doyle said. “Great team we have here to play with, too.”

And, as he said, “I got the sword for the day. Good to have.”

Now he can be called Sir Liam Doyle.