Nashua's Owen Carey dives for home plate ahead of a late throw to Norwich catcher Aidan Baglino during Saturday night's FCBL game at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – In the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, timing is everything.

Just ask the Nashua Silver Knights and their new catcher, James Benestad.

Benestad got a call late Friday night from his Endicott College teammate, Kyan Bagshaw, as to if he wanted to make it to Holman Stadium in time for Saturday night’s game vs. Norwich.

The answer was yes, and Benestad ended up throwing out the potential game-tying run at third base as the Knights hung on to beat the defending FCBL champs 4-3 before a crowd of 734 happy fans.

It was actually the second runner Benestad, who had been playing for Shewsbury, Mass. in a college league in central Massachusetts, cut down on the night.

“Kyan Bagshaw, a good friend of mine, helped me,” Benestad said. “I reached out to Cam (Knights GM Cook) earlier in the summer, and said I’m around if you need catches. Kyan called me last night and I was ready to go today.”

Bagshaw was one out away with the bases empty in the ninth from the first save of any Knights reliever on the year when he issued a walk to Aidan Baglino and gave up a double to the Sea Unicorns Barrett Larsen. Suddenly, there were runners at second and third, a chance for the Sea Unicorns to not only tie the game but take the lead.

Bagshaw’s first pitch to the next hitter, Andrew James Soldra, was in the dirt, bouncing just in front of Benestad. Pinch runner Alan Porter III started to break toward home, and he broke too far, as Benestad threw a strike to Knights third baseman Jeff Valdez to get the game-ending out.

“Dirt ball, he got a little far off the base,” Benestad said. “I was surprised he was that far off, he just came in to pinch run. I saw the opportunity, and I played with Jeff Valdez, too, growing up (in Northborough, Mass.), a good friend of mine at third base. I knew I could trust him with the throw, and end the game.”

As a result, the Knights joined the double-digit win club at 10-13, and won two in a row at home for the first time all season.

“You can thank Cam for that one, we picked him up at 10 o’clock last night,” Knights manager Kyle Jackson said. “I don’t know him that well, but he made a heckuva play. I think he’s happy to be here and I’m happy he’s here.”

Nashua has some injury issues at the position, so they wanted an available body asap. The Knights also rode a fantastic starting performance by Derek Woods, who tossed six innings of one-hit, shutout ball while Nashua grabbed a 4-0 lead with four runs on three hits in the fourth.

Owen Carey led off the frame with a single, stole second and scored on a double by Nate Kearney. T.J. Liponis walked, Benestad got hit by a pitch and Jeff Valdez singled in a run. Two more scored on an error when Sea Unicorns’ Nick Sturino whiffed trying to catch an easy flip to the base on a grounder off the bat of Ben Tullo.

While Woods was outstanding, not so Nashua reliever Phil Nichols, who allowed Norwich to load the bases on a single, hit-by-pitch, and infield hit. He then hung an 0-2 curve to Soldra, who boomed it into the left-center gap to score three runs. What saved Nashua was Benestad again, as he gunned down Soldra trying to advance to third on a throw home. Nichols fanned Brennan Hyde to end the inning and Nashua was still up 4-3.

Derek Woods was dominant for six innings to pick up the win for the Silver Knights on Saturday night at Holman Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Jackson was thrilled with the job Woods did.

“Six solid, one hit, got ahead, make them put it in play, got the K’s when he was ahead,” he said. “He did a great job.”

For Nashua, which has a scheduled doubleheader here vs. Westfield beginning at 12:30 p.m. today, it’s been a nice turnaround from a tough night Thursday in Worcester. And to add to the timing, the afternoon rain stopped in plenty of time to get Holman ready and playable.

“I was questioning whether we were ever going to win at home,” Jackson said. “We play good on the road. It’s very comfortable here, great environment – and better when you win.”

And better when your new catcher immediately proves he’s is in the right place, right time.