After scoring seven runs vs the Nationals yesterday, the Wilmington Blue Rocks could only muster 1 run in their 2-1 loss vs Carolina Mudcats.

While the Blue Rocks did score in the 8th inning, thanks to Designated Hitter Colton Frabasilio’s single that drove in First Baseman Roman Collins.

The team was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 6 men on base.

The real story of this game was the pitching and both sides was battling all game.

Carolina Mudcats starting pitcher Marcos Diplan was dealing in the 5 innings he pitched with 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 ERs, 3 BBs and 5 Ks.

While getting saddle with the loss, Rocks starting pitcher A.J. Puckett pitched pretty well too. Puckett went 5 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs, 0 ERs, 4 BBs and 6 Ks.

Rocks Manager Jamie Quirk on Puckett’s Rocks debut:

He had good stuff. A little jittery in the first inning and they made him throw some pitches, but he didn’t crack. He got out of that inning with a high number of pitches and anymore we would have had to go get him. He has good stuff and he battled and then he breezed after that. The fifth was a little rough for him but he executed when he needed to.”

The Rocks manager also commented on the team’s recent struggles:

“You lose one-run games, which we have lost three in a row, and they’re usually because of offensive execution which we were poor in tonight to get the runner in from third in the ninth. We had three strikeouts which was disappointing. Then in the eighth we had a chance with the safety squeeze and we couldn’t execute that. That’s what happens. That’s how you lose one-run games…execution.”

The Rocks try to snap this three game losing streak tomorrow vs the Mudcats at 6:35pm ET.