Errors Cost Norwich in Loss at Nashua
Nashua, NH – The Norwich Sea Unicorns were unable to hold off the Silver Knights in the late innings on Wednesday night falling 6-3 at Holman Stadium. The loss for Norwich is their third in a row and are now 2 games below .500 owning a record of 7-9.
Nashua opened the scoring in the 1st, capitalizing on several costly errors by the Norwich defense to take an early 2-0 lead. The Silver Knights had their first 2 batters reach base safely thanks to a hit batsman and an error. Norwich starter Ben Winslow quickly recovered retiring the next 2 batters he faced. With a chance to escape the frame unscathed another defensive miscue plated the first 2 runs of the night for the hosts.
Norwich responded in the 2nd with a run to slice the Nashua lead in half. Anthony Tirado began the inning flipping a single into right field. Later, Spencer Chard reached via a one out walk advancing Tirado into scoring position. Alec Warden delivered with a pair of outs dumping a single into center field to score Tirado from second. Warden’s RBI is his 5th of the summer and helped jumpstart the Sea Unicorns offense.
The Silver Knights answered immediately in the home half to restore their 2-run lead. River Hart opened the frame with single to center field. A fielder’s choice ground out moved Hart into scoring position. Ernie Little amplified the scoring threat with a 2 out base hit to right field to give Nashua traffic on the corners. Will Shaheen cashed in for the Silver Knights with the 3rd base hit of the inning to score Hart from 3rd increasing the Nashua lead to 3-1.
In the 4th, Norwich rallied for a pair of runs to tie the game at 3 a piece. Once again Anthony Tirado set the stage with a leadoff single into center field and Spencer Chard worked a one out walk to provide traffic on the basepaths. With Norwich threatening and out in the 4th the Silver Knights elected to make a pitching change for reliever Hunter Ward. The move was unsuccessful as Clay Hartje crushed a double to left field to clear the bases and tie the game. The double for Hartje is his second of the summer and the Johns Hopkins backstop now has 3 RBIs overall.
The game remained deadlocked at 3 until the 7th when Nashua regained the lead thanks to more defensive blunders from the Norwich defense. A one out error from the Sea Unicorns shortstop helped land the go-ahead runner for the Silver Knights. Next, a passed ball moved the baserunner into scoring position. Later, the second error of the inning and the 5th of the night for Norwich helped score the eventual winning run for Nashua with 2 outs in the 7th.
Nashua added some insurance in the 8th to take a 6-3 lead. Joseph Zorc began the frame with a leadoff single and later came around to score on a bases loaded walk while Ernie Little later came around to score on a Ryan Strand sacrifice fly.
Norwich will look to snap their 3-game skid when they return home tomorrow night to open a 6-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Dodd Stadium. Luke Cardman (0-1) will take the mound for Norwich opposite Connor Niemiec (0-2) of the Westfield Starfires.
Win – Nate Kelleher-Mochak (1-2)
Loss – Cooper Maher (0-1)
Save – Brennan Rumpf (S,1)
Time – 2:43
UPCOMING PROMOTION
Tomorrow is Thirsty Thursday with Beer Specials on Narragansett and it’s also Reading Night at the ballpark as the Norwich Sea Unicorns will be celebrating all the students that successfully completed the 2025 Reading Program. Please join us to recognize the great accomplishment these students fulfilled on top of their regular school assignments.
Presented by: Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center
Written by Adam Plager