Nashua catcher Kyle Lavigne looks down as the Lake Monsters celebrate Colby Brouillette's, right, three-run homer that made the differece Friday night at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – All good things must come to an end, and the Nashua Silver Knights ‘ nine game winning streak is over, courtesy of Vermont’s long ball attack in a 4-2 Lake Monsters win before 2,464 on Greater Nashua NAACP Night at Holman Stadium.

That’s the bad news. The Knights lost a game, but gained a player, in signing former Nashua High School South standout Albert De La Rosa, who drew interest from pro scouts all spring with the 20-round MLB Amateur Draft July 17-19.

Still, it was tough to see Nashua’s streak, which included four wins over Vermont, come to an end to put them at 19-18. They hope to begin another one tonight at Pittsfield, the first of five straight on the road.

“We just didn’t get the timely hits,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “They all played hard. Like you said, all things come to an end. That’s the beauty, you get to start one tomorrow.”

Two swings of the bat ended the streak, a night after one swing (the Thursday walk-off homer by Jack Toomey) kept it going. Down 1-0 in the second, Vermont got a solo homer off Knights starter Jonah Wachter, and in the top of the fourth the Monsters’ DH, Colby Brouillette, took a 2-2 Wachter offering deep over the right field wall with two men on for a 4-1 lead. It was a marathon at-bat in which he had broken his bat, but the first pitch with the new one did the trick.

Ouch.

“The first home run was just a bad pitch, a hanger and (Schaub) hit it,” Jackson said. “And the second one was a nine or 10 pitch at-bat. A slider down and in.”

And the streak was over and out in front of one of the larger crowds of the season. Nashua got the crowd going with Kyle Wolff’s RBI single in the first, plating Andrw Jemison, who led off the inning with a single and stole second. But Wolff got picked off first and Nashua managed just five hits on the night – two by Jack McDermott, who had an RBI single off Vermont starter Toby McDonough in the sixth to make it 4-2.

Wachter got hit a bit harder than he has all season (seven hits) but again his control was sharp (zero walks) and he fanned five.

“He battled, he went six strong and kept us in the game,” Jackson said.

“All streaks have to come to an end at some point,” Wolff said. “We were really hot, we knew that. Tonight wasn’t our day. We’re going to go out to Pittsfield (today) and hope to start a new one.”

Former Nashua South standout Albert De La Rosa made his Silver Knights debut on Friday night. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

DE LA ROSA STARTS

De La Rosa was home in Ayer, Mass., hoping to get a call from the Knights at some point. They contemplated signing him before the season but were afraid, GM Cam Cook said during the spring, of him leaving early if drafted.

But when infielder Carmello Musacchia jammed his thumb Wednesday night – and injury that may put him out two weeks – Cook gave De La Rosa a call, and he got the start at shortstop last night. He went 0 for 3 with four assists in the field.

“He played well defensively, and put the ball in play three or four times,” Jackson said. “It’ll come. I think it’s a good experience for him. To me, you have nothing to lose from coming here. He’s happy to be here.”

“I was waiting for the call every time,” he said. “I wanted to play here. One more game, I’m going to be ready.”

Jackson started him to give Brady Dejardins a blow at short after seven straight starts.

Cook said the timing works.

“Carmelo is out a week or two,” Cook said. “If Albert goes in the draft, then the timeline works that Melo is healthy when Albert has to go. And if not (if he’s not drafted), we have three very good shortstops.”

NOTES

Former Nashua Pride slugger Glenn Murray, who still lives in the area, was in attendance and held court pre-game with a few former Pride (and curret Silver Knight) season ticket holders…

Holman’s rich history with Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe breaking the U.S. Baseball color barrier with the Nashua Dodgers was recognized before the game…

Jackson will send Brock Pare (0-3, 5.21) to the mound tonight and Aiven Cabral (1-1, 3.37) will start at Brockton (1:30 p.m.) on Sunday….

Reliever George Welch pitched in a non-save situation in the ninth, and now he heads to pitch for Brewster of the Cape Cod League. If possible, he said he hopes to return before the end of the season…

The Silver Knights won’t be home again until next Friday vs. New Britain.