Nashua's AJ Kolb fires to first to complete a double play after forcing Worcester's Jacob Malfant in the third inning of Friday night's FCBL game at Historic Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Sometimes the other team gets the big hits with men on base when you don’t.

That’s a pretty simple explanation for the Worcester Bravehearts’ 4-2 win over the Nashua Silver Knights, spoiling a Friday Fireworks Night before a big crowd of 2,134 at Historic Holman Stadium.

Great fireworks for the fans, just not enough for the home team, even though the Knights outhit the Bravehearts 7-6.

And you had to know things might not go Nashua’s way after Connor Smith hit into a baseball rarity – the triple play – in the first inning.

“We just didn’t do it with guys on base,” Nashua manager Nick Guarino said, his team now 20-22, dropping into fourth behind Worcester by a half game but still up on 19-24 Norwich for that last FCBL playoff spot. “They cashed in with some guys on base, and we didn’t. Pretty simple answers tonight. Simple jobs that we didn’t do and they did.”

The Knights’ nine men left on base is part of the story. The other key part is Nashua’s pitching couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead. In the sixth, reliever Brandon Metivier, after pitching a scoreless fifth with Nashua up 2-1, was charged with three runs in the sixth. He gave up a leadoff double to the always dangerous Hunter St. Denis (two homers here Wednesday), and Denis scored on Benny Hess’ sac fly to tie the game.

Ok, it happens. But with two out and nobody on, a Metivier bugaboo reared its ugly head – the hit by pitch, now with eight this season. He plunked the Nos. 7 and 8 hitters, Worcester’s Christian Cepin and Jack Murray, then No. 9 hitter John Ramsey loaded ’em up with a bloop past the mound in no-man’s land for an infield hit.

Enter Jacob Malfant, who hit a two-strike hanger into the left-center gap to plate two for a 4-2 Bravehearts advantage. Ouch.

“He did that all with two outs, too, that’s the worst part about it,” Guarino said of Metivier’s mishap. “Make one pitch and get off the field, and end it there. He gets two outs, then hits too guys – it happened really quick.”

Nashua did grab a 2-0 lead in the third off Bravehearts starter and winner Joey Hagen (1-2) on Peter Keblinsky’s rocket double to left-center with one out and A.J. Kolb (single) and newcomer Shanley Wall (walk on base).

The Smith triple play in the first was a bummer – with nobody out he hit a rocket right toWorcester third baseman Ramsey who touched third, threw to second for another force and the throw to first beat the Knights’ hitter. But an even worse downer came in the bottom of the sixth when Nashua loaded the bases against Bravehearts reliever Colton Cravens with one out. However, Peter Fischer struck out on a 3-2 offering and Kolb took a called third strike that the Trackman technology showed was a tad outside. It was that kind of night.

The fans at Historic Holman Stadium loved Fridayh night’s postgame fireworks, shown here, but likely wished there were more during the game as well. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Nashua hitters struck out seven times, but five were with men on and three were with the bat on their shoulders. Credit the Bravehearts, Guarino said.

“They just stuck with the soft stuff all day today, and we didn’t make a single adjustment,” he said. “Everything was out in front, out in front, and then they used the fastball late in counts to freeze us. They did a good job.”

So did the Silver Knights with the fireworks — after the game.