Nashua's Connor Smith takes third ahead of the throw to Lowell infielder Ryan O'Leary during Tuesday night's FCBL game at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They’re the Lowell Stoppers.

At least that’s what the Spinners, the FCBL’s newest entry, have been to the Nashua Silver Knights. The locals had to be glad to see Lowell on the schedule after a three-game losing streak, and that streak is now history after Nashua’s 7-1 win before 1,903 at LeLacheur Park.

The Knights are 5-0 agains the Spinners this season.

“We’ve shown we can do it against the other teams in the league, it’s just we’ve got to put it all together and tonight we did it against them again,” Nashua manager Nick Guarino said. “It’s nice to be abe to play them and win games.”

Nashua just needs to win on more to already clinch the Lions Cup, given by the Lions Clubs of both cities. That may happen Thursday night when the Spinners come to Nashua in a game set to be televised by NESN.

The Spinners committed four errors in falling to 5-13, including two big dropped throws to first by Esteban Dessureault,leading to Nashua runs.

“It’s taking advantage of their mistakes and us not making any more mistakes,” Guarino said. “Today we scored some runs, put up zeros after, played good baseball, played good defense for the most part. We can do it. We’ve got to keep doing it.”

The Knights (8-10) grabbed the lead for good in the third, after Lowell had tied things up at 1-1, when Phoenix Williams scored on a ground ball double play off the bat of Connor Smith. But it was after that when Nashua took control, getting two in the fifth on RBI singles by Tyson Gill and Peter Keblinsky to make it 4-1. They added two in the eighth on Phoenix Williams’ two-run double, and another in the ninth on a throwing error by Lowell’s second catcher of the night, Fletcher Waterman.

Nashua got some great pitching as well. Malcolm Klingler got his first win, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out seven over five innings. Ryan Maiorano and Bryce McCleland each tossed two scoreless frames and Nashua goes to New Britain tonight with a lot of arms to choose from.

“We didn’t use many of them (just three),” Guarino said of last night’s win. “Now we’re full ready to go.”

And, last night Nashua beat a good pitcher in Endicott College’s Matt Pappalardo, who pitched in the Division III World Series, but gave up four runs in 4.1 innings last night.

“He’s very good, we jumped on him early and did a good job there,” Guarino said.

The Knights were also getting their wheels in motion, stealing five bases.

“We’re just trying to stay aggressive,” Guarino said. “Trying to keep what works. We’re pretty good at running; sometimes we run into some stupid stuff … but that’s what our M.O.is going to be. We’re going to run a lot.”

Indeed, the Knights weren’t tentative in any aspect. Guarino hopes that continues when the visit one of the FCBL’s best in New Britain tonight, going up against UConn’s Garrett Grabinski (2-0, 1.56).

“You need a game like that when you go play New Britain tomorrow,” Guarino said. “We’re going to face a really good arm, Grabinski’s pitching for them, he was one of the (Big East) pitchers of the year in the vote at least, in the conversation. We’ll see what happens, we’d like to gain a game on them.”

Of course, Nashua’s starter tonight, Cam Piwnicki (0-0, 1.20) is no slouch, either.

“I just told (the players) we’ve got to start stacking good weeks together so we can start putting ourselves in better spots come July,” Guarino said. “I don’t want to keep fighting, going back and forth, let’s win four or five in a row.”

Maybe the Spinners can be starters – as in starting a win streak for the Knights – as well as stoppers. Heck, if Nashua wins tonight, we know who’s coming to Holman Stadium on Thursday.