Silver Knights manager Nick Guarino, left, talks to his players after Friday night's FCBL game at Historic Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Yes, the Futures Collegiate League Playoffs begin tonight and once again, it’s a party the Nashua Silver Knights aren’t invited to.

And the last couple of weeks certainly weren’t fun, with Nashua winning just a couple of games and limping into the off-season at 23-35. Hard to believe that 10 days ago, had they held on to 6-1 lead with three innings to go vs. Norwich, that Nashua would have been just one game out of a playoff spot.

Instead, they suffered a crushing 7-6 loss to fall 2.5 games behind the fourth place team at that time, the Sea Unicorns, and Nashua never recovered.

Friday night was the team’s final home game, a 9-2 loss to Norwich, and perhaps the post-game fireworks show – spectacular, by the way – helped cushion the blow.

But when lights came back on, the reality of the final home game after the season began with so much promise two-and-a-half months ago (May 27) set in. Only 14 players remained on the roster that had reported to Historic Holman Stadium on Memorial Day for orientation. Ouch.

Manager Nick Guarino, whose future here could be in doubt, looked at things matter-of-factly.

“It’s the same thing every year when a season ends,” Guarino said. “It’s bittersweet. It sucked that it was terrible and we didn’t win games but you’re happy we had the opportunity to try to do it. It’s over now. …”

Guarino look at the highlights of winning five in row in mid June, of hitting a whopping six home runs in a win at Lowell on July 11 (“Kind of a coming out party”), and a mercy rule win early in the season win over Norwich.

One of the reasons that was so big was he and former Silver Knight and current Norwich manager Zach Gitschier are good friends.

“I’ve been friends with him forever,” Guarino said. “We played at Clark (University) together for three years, played with him for one year in the league (at Nashua), known him forever, still keep in contact with him all the time, every week throughout the spring.”

Guarino was asked about just a few innings away from getting to within a half game of the fourth and final spot.

“You could look back at about 20 games this year and say the same thing,” Guarino said.

In 11 of their 35 losses, Nashua had the lead after six innings.

“That’s the team,” Guarino said. “That’s what we had this year.”

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Tonight No. 4 Worcester (29-29) is at No. 1 Vermont (42-16) while No.3 Norwich (29-28) will travel to No. 2 New Britain.(38-20). Opposite locations on Tuesday night for Games 2, and then back to the higher seeds if necessary in the best 2 of 3 format on Wednesday.

New Britain and three-time defending FCBL champion Norwich are meeting for the third straight year in the post. Norwich won the season series 7-3, with a perfect 5-0 at New Britain. Vermont won seven of nine vs. Worcester.

STATS ‘N STUFF

Nashua hit .265 as a team, had a team on-base percentage of .370 and slugged .344 (team OPS of .714) and smacked 22 home runs…

Four pitchers won as many as three games for the Knights: Nigel Cross, Will Perkowski, Jameson Dobis, and Josh Florence…Of the regulars, Matthew Donovan (2.49), Cross (2.59) and Perkowski (2.74) were tops in ERA, but reliever Aaron Forgues, who bolted for the NECBL some three weeks ago, had an 0.84 ERA in eight appearances with four saves…

Cross left for the NECBL as well, which did not sit well with Guarino. The team accommodated him to pitch only Saturdays due to his school and work, and also offered to spread his remaining innings to three per start for the final few weeks due to his school mandated limit. Yet he left to pitch for North Shore (Lynn, Mass.), which did not make the playoffs….

A.J. Kolb, who also left early, led the team in hitting at .357, while Nate Kearney with 132 Abs hit .303. Both Connor Smith – he left early in the final week and informed the club a couple of weeks ago he would do so if there were no playoffs – and Peter Keblinsky both hit. 291. Smith led the team with six homers, while Mason Campagna close behind at 5. Smith and Keblinsky were 34-33 with RBIs.