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Sunday not a fun day for Silver Knights in loss to Norwich

By Tom King - Staff Writer | May 29, 2023

Nashua Silver Knights left fielder Aidan Barry makes a running catch and avoides a collision with third baseman Jake Hatch during Sunday's game vs. Nowrwich at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – After every home game, Nashua Silver Knights manager Kyle Martin meets with his player in a group on the field just off the first base line before they greet the kids running the bases.

Sunday’s conversation, which also included a talk from hitting coach Brendan Martin, took a bit longer than usual.

For good reason.

Simply put, the Silver Knights laid an 8-0 egg Sunday at sun-splashed Holman Stadium vs. the Norwich Sea Unicorns, falling behind 3-0 in the third inning and only managing three hits on the day. Nashua committed just as many errors, and even worse, Silver Knights pitchers issued 10 walks while allowing 11 hits in front of an announced crowd of 1,064.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the eight wild pitches, five by Derek Dascoulias. Norwich’s otherwise solid pitching combo of Clark Gilmore and Pat Sawyer did its part, two, plunking six Silver Knight hitters. But the home team’s bats were so feeble – Luca Giallongo got the first hit in the fifth – they couldn’t take advantage.

As a result, Nashua is once again off to a slow start out of the gate at 1-4. The Knights return today to the site of their lone win, Brockton’s Campanelli Stadium, for a 5:30 p.m. holiday affair with the Rox.

“Just terrible baseball,” Jackson said. “I’m trying to let them know that as pitchers, you have to be aggressive. You can’t fall behind 2-0, 3-0 and try to fight back. (Pitchers) set the tone for the hitters.

“If you go out there and pump strikes, you go 1-2-3 and get the guys back in, they get a couple, and you go out and set a 15-20 minute inning, that momentum’s gone. You need to set the tone for your hitters.”

Neither group set the tone for the other, and while there were a couple of good defensive plays – two Sea Unicorns were cut down at the plate – there were miscues, too.

Brookline’s and University of Rhode Island’s Brandon Hsu started for Nashua and was fine the first two innings but then got touched up for three runs on three hits, a walk, fielder’s choice and sac fly.

But the problems magnified when reliever Ryan Griffin (Northeastern) entered the game in the fifth. He walked five in the inning, and gave up a three-run homer to Norwich No. 3 hitter D.J. Perron over the left center field billboards on a 1-1 pitch. That made it a 6-0 game, and everyone at Holman sensed where things were headed.

Jackson has 20 more players coming, trickling in here and there over the next two to three weeks when their college and, for incoming freshmen, high school postseasons are done. But for now, this is the deal, and as Jackson noted, there are no high schoolers, everyone has had a college season so they shouldn’t be overwhelmed.

“Right now, this is the team I have for whenever guys start trickling in,” Jackson said. “They have the talent to win. It’s just, they need to become a team, stop worrying about their stats and worry about ‘What can I do to help the team?’. That’s the biggest thing. They have to become a team.”

For his pitchers, Jackson has a simple message. “Have the mentality they can’t hit you,” he said. “If they do, fine, but go after them. Don’t be afraid of contact. We’re pitching afraid of contact. … I don’t like using five pitchers every game. I don’t have it.”

And for the hitters?

“They’re looking for the perfect pitch,” Jackson said. “That’s what’s hurting us because we’re 0-1, 0-2. We’re never ahead in the count unless we’re getting hit by a pitch.

“I’m not yelling at them. I’m speaking the truth.”

And often the truth can hurt – but not as badly as the Silver Knights hurt themselves on Sunday.

“They all understand,” Jackson said, “this is not how you play the game.”

PROBABLE STARTERS

Thomas Rioux (0-1, xxx) makes his second start of the season for Nashua today at Brockton. Local fans get a treat on Tuesday with Guertin alum Brandon Metivier going against Westfield on Tuesday night at Holman. Prior to the game there will be a ceremony to mark Holman Stadium as a stop on the Black Heritage Trail.

CONCERN FOR WORCESTER’S DULIN

There was concern throughout the FCBL for Worcester Bravehearts infielder Caden Dulin, who reportedly suffered an extremely severe lower body injury rounding second base early in Sunday’s game at New Britain. The Rowan College freshman from New Jersey had to be helped off the field by the New Britain training staff and EMTs.

The injury and its impact was deemed severe enough that the game was supsended and will be resumed at a later date.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Bravehearts infielder Caden Dulin and his family,” the NB Bees tweeted. “We hope for a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the diamond.”

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