Nashua's Phoenix Williams has his helmet knocked down on his face after being tagged out by Spinners infielder Esteban Dessureault trying to steal third during Thursday night's FCBL game at Historic Holman Stadium. (AP photo)

NASHUA – It’s officially a slump.

Yes, it’s still early, but the Nashua Silver Knights have now lost three straight, falling to a team they once owned, the Lowell Spinners, 1-0 on Thursday night at Historic Holman Stadium.

And, a little alarming, it was Nashua’s second loss to the Spinners in three nights after winning the first six games against them. The loss before an HHS crowd of just 914 leaves Nashua at 10-14.

But worse, the Knights looked lifeless for most of the nine innings. They managed just two hits against Endicott College standout Matt Pappalardo (six innings) and Ian Keusch (three) and now have six runs over the last 27 innings. And last night Lowell pitching retired the last 19 straight Knights hitters they faced. Lowell pitching fanned 13 Nashua hitters as well.

Ugh.

“Losing does that to you,” Knights manager Nick Guarino said of his team’s lethargic look. “We haven’t won a lot of games in the past week or so, and guys are feeling sorry for themselves.”

On the bright side, they got a solid start from Northeastern freshman-to-be Malcolm Klingler, who allowed just three his over six frames, striking out eight and walking one. But without any run support, there was no glory.

“We faced one of the best pitchers in the country, and our guy went toe-to-toe with him,” Guarino said. “But they did their one job. … You give up one run, you should be able to win a game.

“Bad at-bats. Everyone trying to pull baseballs, no approach, no change.”

Lowell got the one run they needed in the seventh off Knights reliever Brody Bump. Cam Biller greeted him with a double to start the inning, went to third on a single by Zander Bratspis, and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Nic Lembo. From the Spinners standpoint, it made up for Bradley McCafferty’s brain cramp when he didn’t tag with the bases loaded and one out in the third on a fly ball to medium right field off the bat of Lembo. Oops.

Nashua’s oops came in the third when Phoenix Williams doubled with one out and tried to steal third. Pappalardo had him picked off – Guarino thought he balked and may have had a case – and Williams was a dead duck at third. Cardinal sin. Nashua stunningly did not have a base runner the rest of the night.

The Spinners improved to 8-18, still four games behind sixth place Nashua in the loss column.

“They’re playing better than they were at the beginning of the year,” Guarino said of Lowell. “Don’t be surprised if they win a few games in a row and their record shows better than it was. Outside of us, before the last two times they beat us, they were playing close to .500 against everyone else in the league.”

“The pitching has turned,” Lowell manager Kevin Graber said. “Pappalardo was unbelievable. Huge credit to pitching coach Anthony DeFabbia, he’s been working with these guys all season. You know how it goes, you have two practices before your first game and then you’re playing every day.”

Nashua hasn’t taken advantage of that after a stretch of perhaps too much time off. The Knights host second place New Britain tonight, fourth place Norwich on Saturday, and face the Bees again, this time in Connecticut, on Sunday. Last night was the third of an eight games-in eight days stretch after playing once the previous four days.

“A few off days in a row, three out of four days, guys just got lax,” Guarino said. “But that’s no excuse. … Hopefully it all comes together in the next couple of weeks or so and we don’t fall too far out of it.”

Silver Knights pitcher Malcolm Klingler delivers a pitch during his six-inning scoreless stint in Thusday night’s FCBL game vs. Lowell at Historic Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

PITCHING CHANGES

The last two starting pitchers who lost 7-3 to Lowell on Tuesday and 6-2 to Worcester on Wednesday, Lucas Collins (Dayton) and Cam Piwncki (Brown) are done for the summer, shut down by their respective schools; that’s two-sixths of the team’s starting rotation. Guarino said Dayton may send another pitcher and there may be another newcomer arriving as well.

Meanwhile, weekend starters Nigel Cross and Will Perkowski (2-0, 3.38) will flip flop this weekend. Cross (2-1, 2.60) normally a Saturday starter, goes tonight while Perkowski will pitch vs.Norwich on Saturday. Josh Florence (2-1, 2.57) goes at New Britain on Sunday.

“After that, we’ll try to fill in the holes,” Guarino said.

“We’re top three in the league in every category which is crazy,