Youths from local schools line up to get Silver Knights autographs on the main concourse at Holman Stadium during Wednesday's Education Day 2026 season opener vs. Vermont. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Kids galor. Wrapped up hot dogs flying through the air at times.

All the Nashua Silver Knights ingredients that fans have come to love at Historic Holman Stadium over the years.

Except those who care about the final score among Wednesday’s Opening Day/Education Day crowd of 2,000 would probably have loved to trade those hot dogs for baseballs through the air on a liner to the outfield as the Silver Knights left a whopping 15 men on base in a 6-3 loss to the Vermont Lake Monsters.

“I just told the guys that,” Silver Knights manager Nick Guarino said. “We got guys into deep counts, we were 2-2, 3-2 a lot, lot of hitters counts, ran the bases well, played pretty good defense, lot of double plays, made some big pitches. Just couldn’t cash in.”

Nashua did deserve better. But the Knights were outhit 15-8 and simply could not get the big hit when it counted. Nashua loaded the bases three times, once with nobody out, and came away with just one run.

In fact, none of the three runs the Knights scored came on a base hit: Hunter Troiano’s RBI ground out in the first for a 1-0 lead, a passed ball on a strikeout for a 2-0 lead in the fourth, and Sam Gettinger’s sac fly in the fifth that closed a 4-2 gap to 4-3 after the Monsters scored four in the top half of the inning.

Shades of the second half of 2025, unfortunately, with different names. But old friend Nate Kearney had an uncharacteristic tough day as after he singled in the first, came up three times with the bases juiced and hit into an inning-ending double play, struck out, and flew out to right. But it’s all about seeing live action again.

“This happens early, I’m not too worried about it,” Guarino said. “Just get familiar back in the lineup, guys seeing live pitching again, get used to who’s hitting behind them, who’s hitting ahead of them. I’m not too concerned…

“One or two more hits we would’ve scored seven, eight runs.”

Vermont, led by leadoff man Bryan Richman, scored six and that was enough, as were the Lake Monsters’ 15 hits.

Richman’s three hits (reached base four times) had that big top of the fifth keyed by a Bennett Hewett two-run triple off Knights reliever Josh Florence that snapped a 2-2 tie.

The Monsters added a Richman RBI single in the eighth and the same from Hewitt in the ninth. Newfield’s Cam Piwnicki was given the loss, but he only gave up two runs, one earned, on seven hits. The loss probably should have been given to Florence as the runners who scored to make it 4-2 were his responsibility.

For Nashua, Gettinger went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Silver Knights starter Cam Piwnicki loses his cap throwing a pitch during the Silver Knights opener on Wednesday vs. Vermont at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“We limited damage,” Guarino said. “Baseball’s a weird sport. I thought the energy was good, guys on the bench were locked in, trying to help us out, picking signs, etc.

“Game One it feels great. I’m excited with the guys we have.”

They just need baseballs flying through the air, not hot dogs. Or heck, maybe both would be nice.

Nashua’s Connor Smith dives back safely into first as the ball arrives into the glove of Vermont’s Evan Dennis during Wednesday’s 2026 season opener at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)