The Wilmington Blue Rocks started the second half of the season with the same way they ended the first half which was with a win.

Rocks snagged a 2-1 road win against the Potomac Nationals on Thursday which was largely due to the pitching duo of Anthony Bender and Ofreidy Gomez.

Rocks starting pitcher Bender went six innings, gave up six hits, one run, one earned run, two walks and two strikeouts. Bender picked up his fifth win of the season with this win against the Nationals.

Then Gomez came in to relieve Bender and was dominant as he went three innings, three hits and one strikeout. Gomez earned his first save of the season in the win against the Nationals.

It all started in the first inning where the Rocks started the scoring first as right fielder Khalil Lee hit a line drive single to center field to score center fielder Blake Perkins. The first inning run gave the Rocks a 1-0 early lead in the game.

Rocks starting pitcher Anthony Bender blanked the Nationals lineup in the bottom of the first as they came up empty but in the bottom of the second inning, it was a different story.

Wilmington could not get anything going in the top of the second but the Nationals did as their first baseman Aldrem Corredor flied out to left which scored right fielder Rhett Wiseman to tie the game at one run each.

This would be the last run that Bender gave up in the game as he sailed through the next four innings and then in the seventh Ofreidy Gomez came in to continue to shut down the Nats lineup.

In the top of the seventh inning, things went wild for the Rocks as the team scored the winning run on a wild pitch from Nationals Jorge Pantoja.

The winning run was set up by center fielder Perkins who stole second base two plays earlier before scoring the winning run.

Rocks ( 32-29) look for their fourth straight win and second straight win of the second half tomorrow as they take on Nationals at Richard Pfitzner stadium. First pitch is at 7:05 pm ET.