The Silver Knights celebrate after beating Westfiled, 6-5 on Wednesday night at Holman Stadium to clinch a spot in the FCBL playoffs. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They’re in. And they did it the Silver Knights way.

That way may give their manager, Kyle Jackson, a heart issue, but the team that has a flair for the dramatic escaped the Westfield Starfires 6-5 at Holman Stadium on Wednesday night to clinch a spot in the Futures Collegiate League playoffs.

Nashua survived a bases-loaded scare in the ninth inning when lefty closer George Welch couldn’t find his fastball command. Welch ended up striking out the side and the Knights stormed out of the dugout in celebration, cheered on by those left from the crowd of 1,220.

“I’m going to have a heart attack,” Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “The boys just come to play every day. They have battled the whole season. … I’m just super proud of the guys. They deserve it.”

There’s still four games to be played, but Knights most likely will either head to Burlington, Vt. Monday as the No. 4 seed or, as it stands now, to New Britain, Conn.as the No. 3 seed for Game 1 of the best of three FCBL semis.

But just getting there was a roller coaster ride, a franchise that followed up its first non playoff season ever in 2021 by starting out 4-13 and 10-17 in 2022. In fact, the Knights (32-27) lost what Jackson called two “heartbreaking” one-run games Tuesday at Pittsfield, costing them a chance to get an early clincher and perhaps close in on the second seed and semis home field advantage.

Last night they trailed the Starfires (29-30), who are in fourth place hoping to get their first playoff berth, 2-0 and 4-3. But three runs in both the fourth and sixth did the trick, despite the heroics of Westfield’s No. 9 hitter, Ryan Molinari. His broken bat blooper just over first baseman Will MacLean’s head in the top of the fourth off Knights reliever Noah Wachter gave the Starfires their 2-0 lead.

In the sixth he doubled off the wall in left off Wachter to tie the game 3-3 before scoring himself on Brendan Jones’ ground rule double in the left field corner that was barely fair to make it 4-3. That came off former Nashua North standout and Knights newcomer Corey O’Day, who got a ground out to end the inning to eventually be awarded the win. O’Day came from New England College while another former Titan, Alex Meesig (Assumption), also joined the mound corps.

The Knights, who looked sluggish offensively vs. Westfield starter Max Moss over the first three innings, struck for three in the fourth on Jack Toomey’s two-run double while Toomey eventually scored on a passed ball to put the Knights up briefly 3-2.

Down 4-3, they got three more in the sixth off Westfield reliever Kevin Zarnoch, Jr. Andrew Jemison started the rally with an infield hit, and Jack Toomey smacked a double that plated Jemison thanks to an errant throw. Toomey came home on a Zack Martin single, and Johnny Knox knocked in Martin with a double. Just like that, 6-4.

“Knox has done very well for us,” Jackson said of the Nichols College product who is hitting .333 after arriving a couple of weeks ago to provide infield depth and now is a regular.

But Molinari struck again in the eighth with an RBI double off Will Andrews that,slightly misjudged, sailed over the head of Knights center fielder Matt D’Amato. But Andrews escaped further damage, and that set up Welch in the ninth.

But Welch, back from a stint in the Cape Cod League, clearly lacked command, issuing two walks and giving up a one-out miscue on a tough play up the middle by Nashua second baseman Jack McDermott, who actually saved a run by keeping the hot grounder in the infield. With no margin for error, Welch then bore down and fanned Westfield’s Pat DAmico and Nick Alonso to end it and put the Knights in the playoffs.

“I’m glad I’m back,” said Welch, who said he got a call from the team asking if he’d be interested in a return geared to the post season. “I’m stoked to make this playoff run and I’m glad I got to seal the deal right there.

“I made it a little interesting. At first I couldn’t command the ball, but I ended up finding it.”

It’s the Silver Knight way.

“Make it interesting,” Jackson said. “Give your coach a heart attack.”

But also a spot in the playoffs.

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