Silver Knight speedster Ernie Little slides into third during Saturday night's win over New Britain. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The road is long, the road is hard.

At least so far for the Nashua Silver Knights. The local Futures Collegiate Baseball League entry will hit the road again today in the midst of the first of three long road sojurns for the season.

After the off day Monday, it continues tonight with the first of two straight games at Vermont; then Nashua is at Norwich on Thursday and New Britain on Friday. Game times are all 6:35 p.m. except for 6:30 at Norwich.

It’s a return to the usual night games; the 10:30 a.m. Education Day games are all done as schools are almost out all over. The next – and final – morning game Nashua has is 11 a.m.at Holman on July 4.

They’ll try to improve their road record this week; Nashua is 1-3 on the road, but 4-1 at Holman. The other two long consecutive road slates are six and seven games (this one is five). The six-gamer is later this month, from Friday June 20 through Thursday June 26 with an off day on Monday. The longest stretch of road games is from Friday, July 25 through Friday, Aug. 1 – seven days.

STYLE OF PLAY

Nashua manager Nick Guarino wants to see good at-bats from his team, and noticed they were lagging a bit last week until Saturday night’s 6-0 win over New Britain. He wants the ball put in play, runners moved over. But do the Knights have power, too?

“River’s a guy, he had a big double (vs. New Britain), he needed to find a barrel,” Guarino said. Hart also homered at Worcester on Sunday. “He isn’t getting too many good pitches to hit; obviously he’s a good hitter and guys arent’t giving him their best pitches, he’s getting a lot of slow stuff.”

Guarino feels Jack Balcer can provide some power as well as Anthony Grabau (seven homers this spring), and don’t forget catcher Joey Current hit two homers in a game 10 days ago.

“It’s early,” Guarino said. “We’re still getting in the swing of things.”

No pun intended.

STAT LEADERS

Nashua’s Ernie Little, who usually hits leadoff, leads the FCBL after two weeks in hitting with a .545 clip. Littlefield makes things happen on the bases as he’s stolen six bags.

Meanwhile, Opening Day starter Tommy Flaherty leads the league in strikeouts with 13 and is third in ERA at 2.00. He’ll likely be starting one of the two games in Vermont…

As for attendance, Nashua has gotten out of the gate strong but thanks to the school games, so has the rest of the league. The Knights are fourth at 2,149 per game while Vermont is the leader at 2,771 in four dates. Worcester is next (2,540 in si) followed by New Britain (2,171)….

Nashua returns home Saturday, hosting Westfield at 6:03 p.m. It’s the first of five straight home games, interrupted only by the Monday off day.