The Silver Knights mob Steve Valdez after he got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to give Nashua its first win of the season Sunday at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Jeff Valdez had one thought and one thought only when he saw New Britain hurler Matthew Slaton’s pitch head ing toward him.

“Don’t move,” the Silver Knights third baseman said. “Don’t move and it’s over.”

And that’s exactly what happened, as Valdez took one for the team with the bases loaded to score ghost runner Ben Tullo with the game winning run in the bottom of the 10th , 8-7, before an announced but loud Holman Stadium crowd of 1,212. It was Nashua’s first win of the season that started with two close losses.

“This is why I wanted the International Rule,” Silver Knights manager Kyle Jackson said, mening the same rule used for extra innings in the Major Leagues, starting with a runner at second, adapted by the Futures League this year for just the 10th before it goes to the Home Run Derby. No Derby needed yesterday in a wild, wild affair.

“They broke (the winless start),” Jackson said. “I think we needed it. So now, momentum.”

Which will have to come on the road, as Nashua won’t be back at Holman until next Sunday, headed to Norwich for a 4 p.m. holiday game today and four more road games thereafter.

In the top half of the 10th, New Britain wasn’t able to score with things deadlocked at 7, as Valdez, from Siena College and insterted into the lineup during the later innings, dove and caught a bunt attempt off the bat of New Britain’s Brett Davino. He bounced up and fired to second to easily double up ghost runner Michael Anquillare.

“I saw it up in the air, and I said ‘This ball’s not dropping, can’t let it drop,'” he said. “Just laid out, hoped for the best.”

Nashua’s aggressiveness gave the Silver Knights a 1-0 lead in the first when Tommy Ahlers led off with a base hit and scored on a throwing error on a bunt by Derek Finlay, who reached base four times.

The Bees tied it in the second on a Scott Gell RBI single off Nashua stared Andrew Chenevert. It stayed that way until the sixth when the Knights first plated two on a Finlay two-run single. But then former South standout River Hart brought the house down with a two-run homer over the billboards in left to give Nashua a 5-1 lead.

“I felt good in my first two Abs (both ground outs to third),” Hart said. “I knew I was going to get it.”

Yet it wouldn’t be that easy. Surprisingly, Chenevert came out for the seventh, and the Bees buzzed for an amazing six runs on just four hits but one of them being a grand slam off the right field foul pole on by NB’s Brett Davino. Throw in two walks and three hit batsmen, and the Bees sent 12 to the plate. Two relievers later, New Britain had a 7-5 lead.

“Chenevert threw amazing,” Jackson said. “We left him out a little too long. He was at 70 (pitches), and (pitching coach Spencer) talked to him, he wanted to go back out. We felt good, but (getting relief help ready) took too long. It escalated really quick.”

Jackson was none too pleased, letting his bullpen know about it during the second pitching change in the inning. But Nashua recovered in the bottom of the frame to tie things up at 7 thanks to a leadoff double by Ryan Caufield and two throwing errors by Bees catcher Gell (he had three errors in the game), plus a passed ball.

Nashua’s Ryan Caufield is tagged out by New Britain’s Shane Pellegrino while trying to steal second in the second inning of Sunday’s FCBL game at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

And on it went until the bottom of the 10th. After things quieted down, Nashua got scoreless relief from John Milewski, Stiles Begnaud and winning pitcher Andrew Koshy. The Knights outhit New Britain 9-8 and played errorless ball.

Ben Tullo began the 10th on second and Tommy Ahlers singled through the left side, but Tullo had to wait for the ball to get through, so he stopped at third, but Ahlers sped to second. With one out the Bees intentionally walked Will Fosberg, Hart took a called third strike for the second out but enter Valdez. And the International Rule rules.

“We got it (adopted), and they had an opportunity, we made a defensive play,” Jackson said.

“A great win,” Hart said. “We needed it. They picked me up…. It was awesome.”

“This was huge,” Valdez said. “We had to pick up a win, especially Opening Weekend, had to get one, and now this will be a good lead in to the week on the road.”

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