In the final game before the All-Star break, Norwich had a chance to snap its two-game skid and carry some momentum into the time off. Instead, the Sea Unicorns couldn’t jumpstart their bats and lost 4-2.
Nashua got on the board first and tallied runs in both the second and third innings. Meanwhile, Norwich waited until the fourth to score when catcher Joey DeMucci scorched one back up the middle. The All-Star notched his sixth multi-hit game of the year and ranks second on the team in average at .362.
The Silver Knights added another two runs in the fifth, which put the Sea Unicorns down by three. Kevin Murphy’s squad continued to fight, but also wasted a ton of opportunities. In the seventh frame, Norwich had bases loaded with one out and couldn’t score. Then, there were men on first and second with one gone. Still, nothing. The Sea Unicorns ended the day with 12 runners stranded, double Nashua’s total.
Norwich tried to piece together a ninth inning rally, which looked promising after a leadoff walk. However, the Sea Unicorns could only get a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Brennan Hyde. An 0/4 performance extended the All-Star’s hitless streak to four contests.
Third baseman Dean Ferrara was one of the only bright spots for Norwich. The All-Star went 3/4 and raised his league-leading average to .445. Along from DeMucci and Ferrara, shortstop Zach Donahue also had multiple knocks. The ECSU product already has three multi-hit outings in his first eight games.
The Sea Unicorns have lost three straight and sit at 31-19, still in third place. Norwich is off until Thursday when Westfield comes to town. First pitch is set for 7:05 on NESN.