By Joshua Kummins

NASHUA, N.H. -- The Nashua Silver Knights scored double-digit runs for the second straight game and banged out 18 hits en route to defeating the North Shore Navigators, 15-8, in Thursday night’s Futures Collegiate Baseball League game at Historic Holman Stadium.

The Navs slipped to 10-6 on the season with their second straight loss and third in four games, while Nashua moved above .500 for the first time at 9-8 and extended its winning streak to five.

North Shore scored seven of its runs over the final four innings and finished the game with 13 hits. First baseman Tyler MacGregor (Columbia) went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the Navs offense, extending his season-long on-base streak. Second baseman Dominic Freeberger (UNC Asheville) has also reached base in all 16 games after a 2-for-3 night.

Left fielder Colin Macko (UNC Asheville), third baseman Andrew Olszak (Southern Maine), and catcher Colin Wetterau (St. John’s) also posted multiple hits for North Shore, with the Danvers native Olszak driving in two runs.

After Evan Christopulos (Bentley) retired the side in three batters to start the game, his Silver Knights tagged North Shore starter Matt Bergeron (Saint Joseph’s of Maine) for three runs in their half of the first inning. Catcher Dylan Jones (Franklin Pierce) and first baseman Joe Bramanti (Maine) drove in runs during the four-hit frame with a single and double, respectively.

The Navs cut into their three-run deficit in a second inning that began with shortstop Logan Bravo (Harvard) drawing a leadoff walk. Christopulos battled back to retire the next two Navs, the former Austin Prep star moved up to third on an error and scored on Macko’s bloop single into shallow left.

Nashua broke the game wide open with a five-run, five-hit third, extending the advantage to 9-1. Bergeron allowed a leadoff single to third baseman Noah Lucier (Stonehill) and hit back-to-back batters to load the bases. Jones then brought in a run on a fielder’s choice before Bramanti ripped a two-run double and right fielder Jared Dupere (Northeastern) tripled.

Jones added his third RBI in as many plate appearances on a sacrifice fly to center, bringing the Silver Knights to the 10-run marker in the fourth.

Cedric Gillette (Merrimack) induced a strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play ball to post a zero in the fifth before the Navs got back on the scoreboard with two runs an inning later. Designated hitter Sean Lawlor (Flagler) and Bravo drew one-out walks before MacGregor and Freeberger laced consecutive run-scoring base hits.

Though Gillette retired the first two batters, the Silver Knights batted around again in their half of the sixth. Shortstop Benjamin Cowles (Maryland) beat out an infield single to extend the inning for Dupere to hit a three-run home run over the wall in left.

The Navs clicked the scoreboard for the second straight inning in the seventh when Olszak singled into the shortstop hole, but Nashua scored two more runs on Bramanti’s third RBI hit of the game and an error.

Macko’s eighth-inning single preceded North Shore’s three-run, five-hit ninth. Wetterau and Olszak posted back-to-back hits to open the final frame, with Olszak’s second double in three games producing a run. After Keagan Calero (UMass Lowell) singled, MacGregor and Beverly native newcomer Jon Gilbride (UMass Lowell) concluding the scoring with base hits. Gilbride came in as a late-game replacement for Freeberger, delivering his first hit and RBI as a Nav.

Bramanti led Nashua’s attack with four hits, three runs scored, and four RBI. Christopulos earned his second win after striking out seven over five innings of three-hit, one-run ball.

The Navs return to Fraser Field for a Friday doubleheader against the Worcester Bravehearts. First pitch is set for 4:45 p.m., with a fireworks show presented by Wayne Alarm following the second game.