Silver Knights hitter Ryan Caufield can't believe he was called out on strikes duirng the third inning of Saturday night's 4-1 loss to New Britain at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – From Friday fireworks to a Saturday semi-slumber.

That’s the way it was for the Nashua Silver Knights at Holman Stadium last night as their bats were fairly quiet in a 4-1 loss at the hands of the New Britain Bees before an announced crowd of 1,046.

Nashua has now dropped to 0-2 on its much anticipated Futures Collegiate League opening weekend, but will have another crack at that first win today at 3 p.m. vs. these same Bees.

“You know … we put a lot of balls in play,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said, his team held to five hits and striking out 10 times. “Either soft contact or line drives right at people….Our pitchers pitched well enough to keep us in the game. … That’s the way the game is.”

Nashua was only able to manage one run, that coming off Bees reliever Tanner on a sacrifice fly off the bat of pinch-hitter Jeff Valdez in the seventh. That scored Nashua South and current UMass Lowell outfielder River Hart, who was making his Silver Knights debut. He walked, stole second and advanced to third on a hit from his former Nashua North counterpart Derek Finlay.

But that was it. Hart (hit by pitch) and Finlay (single) worked their magic in the bottom of the ninth vs. Bees reliever Tanner Wall, but a pop up and strikeout ended things, the tying run coming to the plate twice. Wall (three frames) and Bees starter Dylan Scudder (six innings, three hits, two walks, five K’s) were in control most of the night.

The Silver Knights wasted a good outing – and the last one for the foreseeable future for starter Braydon Gray. Gray is leaving for the Valley League in Virginia, and he got into and wiggled out of a couple of jams through five scoreless frames.

“He threw really well,” Jackson said. “He gave us five quality innings, got out of jams, threw strikes, had maybe one walk (four hits, one walk, four strikeouts). He gave us our quality start. Bullpen came in, one bad inning, and we didn’t give them any run support.”

Brandon Metivier relieved Gray to start the sixth and was touched up for a run on doubles by John LaFleur and Brett Davino (RBI). The Bees won the game in the seventh as Knights reliever Liam O’Hearen gave up three runs on a Freddy Forgione RBI double, and LaFleur two-run single.

That made it 4-0, putting Nashua in a hole that without hitting, it was too difficult to climb out of.

Now the Knights are hoping to get that first win in their final home game until June 2. Nashua’s Andrew Chenevert, one of their best pitchers from a year ago, opposes New Britain’s Alexander Slotter, a righty out of RIT.

“They all come from winning programs, and they expect to win,” Jackson said of his players. “I think once they get that first one, I think we’ll take off. We’ll be at it (today).”

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