BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (21-36, 51-75) were narrowly defeated by the Somerset Patriots (30-28, 65-62) at TD Bank Ballpark on Tuesday night, 1-0.

Making his fourth Double-A start, New Hampshire’s Fernando Perez fired seven scoreless innings with four punchouts for his second consecutive quality start. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the ninth inning, the Fisher Cats put the tying run in scoring position in the but failed to convert to drop their eighth in a row.

New Hampshire’s Perez allowed three hits through seven scoreless frames; the third time he has completed the seven-inning mark in his career. Righty Devereaux Harrison (L, 6-8) surrendered one run on one hit and a walk in one inning of relief.

Somerset starter Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz tossed six scoreless, one-hit innings with one walk and eight punchouts. Right-handers Baron Stuart (L, 1-2) and Carson Coleman (S, 2) handled the final three frames as Stuart pitched two scoreless, hitless relief innings. Coleman worked around a one-out base hit in the ninth to secure the Patriots’ one-run victory.

With neither team threatening more than two baserunners in an inning, Somerset plated the night’s only run in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out walk by Brendan Jones and an RBI double by George Lombard Jr. one pitch later off New Hampshire’s Harrison. Earlier in the night, Perez allowed a hit and a walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but the righty recorded three straight outs to keep Tuesday’s game scoreless through six innings.

New Hampshire catcher Jacob Sharp looped a one-out single in the top of the ninth inning before he advanced to second on a groundout from designated hitter Jackson Hornung. Somerset’s Coleman then shut the door with a strikeout to complete the Patriots’ 1-0 win.

The series continues with another 6:35 first pitch on Wednesday night. New Hampshire sends Grant Rogers (6-8, 3.98 ERA) to the hill against Somerset’s Kyle Carr (0-0) in the second game of the series.