For Silver Knights, it was a long, rewarding journey to title
Aug. 18—Kyle Jackson joked that he might need a new heart after the stress his Nashua Silver Knights team put him through this past Futures Collegiate Baseball League season.
The Silver Knights went 4-12 to start the summer but ended it hoisting their sixth FCBL championship.
Nashua clinched the FCBL title last Friday with a 6-5 triumph in Vermont against the Lake Monsters in Game 3 of the best-of-three series. Vermont, the regular-season league champion with a 44-19 record, won Game 1 at home on Aug. 10, 12-0, before the Silver Knights secured a 6-5 walk-off victory at Holman Stadium in Nashua the following night.
"Back then (during the slow start), championships were not even in the eyes," said Jackson, a Hudson native who also led the Silver Knights to the 2020 league title in his first year as team manager. "It was like, 'Let's just try to get to .500.'
"I think that's what makes this year so special — coming from the bottom and being on top."
Behind a nine-game winning streak that began at the end of June, an 18-7 July run and Jackson estimated about 10 walk-off wins, Nashua qualified for the four-team FCBL postseason by finishing third in the eight-team league with a 33-29 record.
The Silver Knights, who had 14 New Hampshire residents on their playoff roster, gave Jackson's nerves a rest in their 11-3 win at New Britain on Aug. 8 to open their best-of-three semifinal series.
Nolan Lincoln, an Eastern Connecticut State junior from Londonderry, and Wake Forest's Will Andrews combined for a one-hitter and nine strikeouts to lead the Silver Knights to a series-clinching 3-0 triumph over New Britain in Nashua the next night.
Jackson said he was originally not sure Lincoln would be available for the playoffs after the righty felt bicep tightness during his last regular-season start. After a spat with a fever, Lincoln joined the team in New Britain and told Jackson he could pitch Game 2.
Lincoln, an FCBL All-Star Game selection, threw 58 pitches over six innings, 44 of which were strikes.
"It saved our bullpen," Jackson said of Lincoln's start.
Vermont held the Silver Knights to eight hits, five of which came from Londonderry resident Shane McNamara (2-for-3) and Boston College freshman Kyle Wolff (3-for-4), en route to the 12-0 triumph in Game 1 of the championship series. Nashua used six pitchers in the loss.
The victory marked the Lake Monsters' seventh straight at home and moved their home record to 30-7 on the season.
When the Silver Knights were down 4-0 early in that game, Jackson spoke with his players in the dugout.
"Vermont had a phenomenal season with their record, wins, their offense and pitching — they were expected to win so we're the underdogs," Jackson said. "I told them, 'If you win, there's nothing here for you. The trophy is here for them to win so the pressure is on them to win so go out, have fun, enjoy it. Don't let this be the last day that you guys play together but if you do, go out having fun and doing what you've done all season — coming back.'"
A three-run seventh inning gave Nashua a 5-4 lead in Game 2 but Vermont knotted the score in the top of the ninth with a one-out Tommy Martin RBI single. Andrews ended the frame by striking out the Lake Monsters' next two batters.
After a two-out single by Brady Desjardins and Brady O'Brien drew a walk, Jack McDermott stepped into the batter's box for Nashua in the bottom of the frame. On the first pitch he saw, the Amherst College sophomore belted his walk-off double to center field, forcing Game 3 back in Burlington.
McDermott, who was named the championship series MVP, also helped Nashua clinch Game 3. With Vermont leading, 5-4, in the top of the ninth inning, he hit a one-out double and scored on Wolff's ensuing first-pitch, go-ahead home run.
Jackson said he was so focused on the team just getting a single after McDermott's at-bat that he was not thinking about a home run. Wolff, who was 0-for-4 entering his ninth-inning at-bat, led Nashua in home runs (six) in the regular season.
Nashua tested Jackson's nerves one final time in the bottom of the inning. After Jackson intentionally walked Harrison Didawick, Vermont had the bases loaded with one out. Andrews dashed the Lake Monsters' walk-off hopes by inducing two flyouts to end the series.
Even with a spent bullpen, Jackson intentionally did not use Concord's Noah Wachter in relief in Game 2 so he could start the reliever in Game 3. Wachter, a Plymouth State senior, went 5 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Cole Glassburn pitched 2 1/3 innings of two-hit relief to earn the win.
"It's just epic and I'm proud of these guys of coming from the bottom, going up top and beating probably one of the best teams in Futures League history," Jackson said. "I had to take a moment after the celebration in the dugout because it was just such an emotional drain and roller coaster that the season's over and they did it and you're just so happy for them."
