Outfielder Matt Jackson has played well for the Silver Knights since joining the team a couple of weeks ago. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The unthinkable has happened to Nashua Silver Knights.

If the season were to end today, Nashua would be missing the Futures Collegiate Baseball League playoffs for the third straight year.

That was unthinkable two weeks ago.

Nashua was sitting at 22-19, the only team above .500 among them, Norwich and New Britain, where it was understood two of the three would join top teams Worcester and Vermont in the four-team postseason.

The Silver Knights haven’t won a game since, having lost an incredible 10 straight to fall to 22-29, a game behind New Britain for that fourth and final spot after losing No. 10 to the Bees 4-1 this past Sunday.

Amazing. What happened?

Basically, it seems anything that could go wrong has. But one might boil it down to the fact they’re not hitting.

Despite having the FCBL’s leading hitter in Patrick Shrake at .366, the next hitter to qualify among the batting leaders is Cole Patterson – at .237.

The numbers lie in some cases, but tell a bold truth in others. As a team, Nashua is still fourth in the league at .241, still ahead of the two teams they trail, New Britain (.228) and Norwich (.234). But the Knights’ OPS is fifth in the league at .649, they’re slugging just .306 (fifth) and are fifth in the league in runs scored with 229. Nashua is also fifth in homers and last in triples. But newcomer Matt Jackson has been their best threat, hitting .375 in a short sample size.

On the bright side, the Knights are second in pitching with a 4.34 ERA, one percentage point ahead of New Britain, whose offense is even more abysmal than Nashua’s. Andrew Chenevert is the ace at 5-2, 4.02, and Tommy Flaherty is 1-3, 4.34. Ethan Hunt is 0-3 but has left games with leads and has a 4.00 ERA.Those are theoretically your top three starters and manger Nick Guarino and pitching coach Spencer Bergeron have pieced together the other days as there have been some newcomers.

Defense remains an issue. Nashua is fourth in fielding with a .953 fielding percentage and has committed 83 errors, also fourth. The leader? New Britain, with a .965 percentage and a league low 63 miscues. That may be a reason they have a one-game lead on the Knights for that last playoff spot.

THE REMAINING SCHEDULE

There are only 11 games left on the schedule, and the first four are on the road this week: Today at Westfield, Wednesday and Thursday at Worcester, and Friday at Norwich.

Nashua returns home from its seven-game sojourn on Saturday at 6:03 p.m.,hosting Westfield with Worcester in town on Sunday (3 p.m.).

The Silver Knights hope to still be in contention during the final week, so that their Aug. 5 game at New Britain – they’re only remaining game with the Bees – means something. They have home games vs. Worcester Aug. 6 and Westfield Aug. 7, at Westfield Aug. 8 and wrap up the regular season at Holman on Saturday, Aug. 9 vs. Vermont.

NOTES

Nashua South alum River Hart, who was thrilled to be back playing for the Knights this season, has ended his summer to forget with a turf toe injury that has kept him out a month. Hart was hitting just. .181…

As bad as things have been, Nashua is third in attendance, averaging 1,623 per game in 24 openings. Vermont, as expected, is head and shoulders above everyone at 2,581 per game with Worcester next (1,936).