The Silver Knights mob Jack Toomey to celebrate his walk-off homer that gave them a 4-3 win over Vermont at Holman Stadium on Thursday night. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The history of Historic Holman Stadium worked in the Nashua Silver Knights’ favor on Thursday night.

When he owned the professional independent Nashua Pride, Chris English created a short left field at Holman with a brick wall in front of a picnic area, certainly a tantalizing spot 307 feet away for dead pull hitters.

Some 24 years later, English had his creativity come back to haunt his current team, the Vermont Lake Monsters of the Futures Collegiate League, as Nashua’s Jack Toomey lofted a pop fly ball leading off the bottom of the ninth that carried over that wall for a solo homer to give the Knights a dramatic 4-3 walk-off win before 1,121.

We probably should have expected it; the Knights (19-17) have now won nine straight, and beaten arguably the FCBL’s best team four straight times – after losing 14 straight to them dating back to last season.

But these wins haven’t been easy, as Nashua blew a 3-0 lead in the later innings.

“That’s a great team,” Nashua manager Kyle Jackson said. “They’re never out of a ball game.”

True, Vermont keeps pushing and pushing, but the Silver Knights now are pushing back.

“Yeah, and it’s good to see that,” Jackson said. “I think, the games we lost to them, they’ve all been very close games. It’s just who gets the big hit, and today was our day.”

Ironically, Toomey sat out Wednesday’s win at Vermont as he was under the weather. He still had a heavy voice last night, but a heavy bat, too, as leading off the bottom of the ninth he lofted a 1-1 pitch from Vermont reliever and New England College senior Wyatt Cameron to left that simply carried – and stayed fair.

“I didn’t think I was actually going to bet the opportunity to hit there,” said Toomey, who had struck out twice and walked, still feeling a little sick. “I wasn’t going to let (a good pitch) pass up. A fastball I should’ve been swinging at, so I was just trying to be as aggressive as possible and I was way out front.”

And the wins just keep on coming.

“It’s the chemistry,” said Toomey, a Wellesley, Mass. freshman bound for Holy Cross. “Everyone loves each other, it’s awesome.”

Nashua got its first run off Vermont starter Tim Noone in the fourth when Ray Velazquez reached on an infield hit, stole second and third and scored on Chris Katz’ RBI groundout. They picked up two in the fifth on consecutive RBI singles by Andrew Jemison and Velazquez for a 3-0 lead that should have been more except Toomey got caught off third on a sharp grounder.

But, as Jackson said, the Monsters aren’t a league-best 26-11 by luck. Ryan Marra hit a booming blast into the right field trees to put Vermont on the board off impressive Knights starter Nolan Lincoln (one run, three hits,seven Ks over six) in the sixth.

Vermont then began to work on the Knights bullpen, which has suddenly been their strength. But Avery Mosseau (hit batsman, walk) didn’t throw a single strike in the seventh and while L.T. Pare minimized the damage, he did give up a two-out RBI single to Cooper Kelly.

Nashua infielder Brady Desjardins tries to field the throw as Vermont’s Tommy Martin dives into second for a stolen base during Thursday night’s FCBL game at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

In the eighth, Zach Gitschier surrendered an RBI single to Harrison Didawick, but with runners at first and third fanned Favretto to end the threat.

“The bullpen did their job, L.T. (Pare) came in and did a great job after Mosseau,” Jackson said. “And six solid innings from Lincoln.”

Velazquez led off the bottom of the eighth with an infield hit, but Kyle Wolff bunted into a force out and the Silver Knights had to wait until the ninth.

“We said, ‘We’re going to give you one pitch, and if it’s a strike, you can swing,'” Jackson said. “We asked him if he was a good bunter, and if he said no, it would’ve been (Zach) Martin to go in and bunt. But it was right back to the pitcher.”

But Toomey’s hit was right into the picnic area. Vermont left fielder Jackson Kline was drifting back thinking he would catch an easy fly, but then ran out of room. Blame your owner, Jackson.

Meanwhile, there’s no blame with the Knights. As Toomey alluded, all for one, one for all.

“I’m proud of them,” Jackson said. “It’s good to be a part of. Everybody’s contributing. Starters that have pitched with other guys out, like Lincoln who came in when Clark got hurt, Gabe (Van Emon) pitched (Wednesday), and the bats are coming alive. Always great at bats, which is good.”

With Toomey’s being the best.

WELCH TO THE CAPE

Jackson will have to reconfigure his bullpen a bit, as lights out closer George Welch is headed to the Cape League after tonight’s Game 2 at Holman vs. Vermont….

Nashua infielder and usual leadoff hitter Carmelo Musacchia was out after jamming his thumb sliding into a bag at Vermont Wednesday….

Tonight is Greater Nashua NAACP Night, with ticket proceeds going to the local organization….

Nashua will likely send either Jonah Wachter (1-0, 1.16) or Brock Pare (0-3, 5.21) to the mound.