Nashua Silver Knights reliever Alex Meesig delivers a pitch during Saturday night's Holman Stadium opener vs. Worcester. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Great weather. Great crowd, an engaged 1,641. Competitive game.

The Nashua Silver Knights couldn’t have asked for anything more for their 2023 Holman Stadium opener on Saturday night.

Except a win.

That was something they didn’t get in a tough 6-4 loss at the hands of the Worcester Bravehearts, a game that they probably feel they could have and should have won.

“It’s all right, they played well, the bats are coming,” Nashua manager Kyle Jackson said, his team getting eight hits. “We’re just going to clean up on my end, their end. … Just one of those things.”

Two things cost Nashua, now 1-3 on the young season: A four-error top of the second, and three runners thrown out on the bases in the final four innings.

But the killer was the second, as Worcester took advantage for five unearned runs, the big blow a first pitch three-run homer over the brick wall in left by Worcester’s No. 8 hitter, Vincent Eramo of Nashua starter Padraig Mac Seain. It followed consecutive errors by Knights shortstop Jake Hatch that put two men on and a run already in.

An error by first baseman Shane Wockley started the inning, and a throwing error by Knights catcher Kyle DeRoma plated Worcester’s final run of the frame for a 5-1 deficit.

“It was one of those things that multiplied and would never end,” Jackson said. “We just dug ourselves a big 5-1 hole. I was just telling the guys, we eliminate those, we’re winning ball games.

Mac Seain didn’t make it out of the inning, as reliever Alex Meesig, one of the heroes of last year’s title, came in and almost duplicated his Game 2 efforts. He was touched up by a run on just one hit over 3.2 innings, walking three and striking out six. But reliever Sam Forsberg gave up a base hit to Worcester’s Caden Dulin to plate the sixth Bravehearts run in the sixth for a 6-2 lead. Aidan Barry had singled in a run for Nashua in the second.

Nashua made some more noise in the bottom half of the frame when Ryan Juliano tripled in a run off Worcester lefty reliever (and winner) Tyler Mudd – the Knights’ second triple of the night – and Ryan Caufield singled him home to make it 6-3. A walk and infield hit loaded the bases for DeRoma, who lofted a fly ball to left that looked like it would carry further. Caufield tagged and was out at the plate by three feet, a rally killing, inning-ending double play.

Ouch.

“I gave him the green light,” Jackson said. “He felt he could make it. I’ll own it too. He heard me and went so it’s not his fault, it’s my fault.”

In the eighth, Nashua pinch runner Luca Giallongo was caught off second on a bloop off the bat that also looked like it would carry but was caught by Worcester infielder Tyler Bastunas.

The baserunning miscues got worse. In the ninth, with two on and one out, Nashua was poised to rally. Hatch, who had reached on an infield hit and was on second, took off for third on his own with no one covering. But DeRoma, who had walked, took off for second and was thrown out stealing.

Double ouch.

That took the tying run off the bases and now with two outs, Worcester reliever Axel Johnson fanned Nick O’Connor to end it.

“It wasn’t a double steal, Hatch took off on his own, which was fine,” Jackson said. “I don’t know if DeRoma took off because he thought he had to. Those things just get cleaned up.”

Nashua’s Shane McNamara slides into third ahead of the tag by Worcester’s Kobe Stenson during Saturday night’s Holman Stadium opener. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua had a 1-0 lead in the first off Worcester starter J.T.Raab on an RBI single by Shane McNamara, who reached base three times (triple, walk). He’s the Knights best player thus far, hitting at a .615 clip.

“He’s seeing the ball well,” Jackson said. “The ball looks like a beach ball. It’s just tough for me because I’m running so many lefties. We’re waiting for guys to (arrive) so we can mix and match.”

“We just didn’t have timely hitting and there was that one bad inning,” McNamara said. “After college season (at Eastern Nazarene), I had to take a step back, make a couple of adjustments. I’m out here having fun, trying to see the ball, hit a ball hard. Just trying to win at-bats, win pitches.”

Now the Knights need to win games. They’ll hope to start today vs. Norwich in the Holman heat at 3 p.m.

“We’re putting up runs now, we’re hitting, we’ve got to put everything together,” Jackson said. “One day it’s hitting, one day it’s pitching, one day it’s fielding. We’ve just got to get rid of most of the (mistakes).”

HSU MAY START

It may be back-to-back Hollis Brookline alums starting games for the Knights this weekend as Brandon Hsu, scheduled to arrive today, could get the starting nod. Meesig was the scheduled starter, but Jackson needed him to stop the second inning bleeding. Normally a reliever – his role with Nashua last year – Jackson was asked by the University of Rhode Island coaches if Hsu could get some starts as that is their plan for him for next year, Jackson said…

Rivier pitchers Nate Bonacorsi and Ty Baker, who were signed to temp deals, are slated to leave soon for a league in Myrtle Beach, possibly as early as today…

Richie Paltridge (Siena) arrived yesterday and pitched a scoreless ninth.