The most frustrating thing for a baseball team is to waste strong pitching performances.

Marian has experienced that during the past week.For the last three games, the Colts' offense has struggled mightily, scoring just six runs. Those struggles have led to a pair of losses - the first ones of the season for Marian.Minersville handed Marian a 3-1 Schuylkill League setback on Friday.Joe Nahas probably pitched his best game of his career for the Colts, striking out 12 hitters, allowing but two walks, and four hits. Unfortunately, Marian's defense was shoddy in the first inning and its offense couldn't overcome the early deficit.The Battlin' Miners used a lead-off single from Chris Leshko, a walk to Brady Levonas, and a hit batsman to jam the sacks. Things started to come unglued when a booted ball allowed the first runner to score. Dylan Stephen hit a single just behind the second baseman for another run, and a passed ball allowed Minersville's final run to score.Only one ball left the infield, but the Miners scored three runs."Sometimes this game can be cruel," said Marian coach Tony Radocha. "But I love it… baseball is such a great game - when you're winning. The way we're playing right now… well, we're struggling to score runners."Friday, Marian's batters were hitting the ball hard, but right at people."That is frustrating," said Radocha.Nahas struck out the side four times during his seven-inning stint. He allowed only two hits after the first inning."You know this team loves to play the game, and they play it the right way," said Minersville coach Del Hauck. "I did nothing, the players did it all. We got a lot of heart. We beat a very good pitcher and a quality team. What more can I ask for?"Marian had chances to overcome the three-run deficit, including a huge rally that brewed in the third inning, the only time it would score. Nick Kubishin singled to open the home half of the third and moved to third on a Dante Salerno single. Salerno promptly stole second putting runners in scoring position. However, Nahas hit a grounder to third, and when Kubishin drifted too far off the base, Steele Fekette chased him down for a second out. An error eventually allowed the lone Marian run to score.An inning later, the Colts had another threat cooking. This time Mason Evitts singled, before Josh Inama was plunked by a pitch, but back-to-back pop ups produced two outs. DeAngelo came up with a nifty two-out bunt for a single, but Evitts came churning round third on the play and was cut down at the plate to kill off the would-be threat.The Colts' KJ Sneer slammed a booming double with two outs in the fifth, but was stranded. Marian had another opportunity in the sixth when Inama blasted a double and reached third on a groundout. But the inning ended on another pop out.The last chance for the Colts came in their last at bats. Pinch hitter Bubba Malarkey drilled an opposite field single to right and Salerno added his second single of the contest. But the rally was about to take an abrupt halt. Hauck quickly summoned in relief pitcher Matt Leiby and preceded to strikeout the next two hitters, and got a groundout back to the mound to end the contest."You know they came in here and beat us, and they did a very good job," said Radocha. "Right now we have to start hitting the ball."DIAMOND DUST … Seven different Marian batters had hits; Salerno's double and single paced the attack Leshko had two of Minersville's four hits.COUNTING PITCHES … Nahas had an unsettling first inning with 35 pitches, but he threw just 77 over the next six innings for a total of 112 (73 for strikes). Ryan Nettles tossed 81 pitches (51 pitches for strikes) before leaving with no outs in the seventh; .THE CHASE … Marian (7-2, 3-2) was the preseason favorite to win its second straight Division III title, but suddenly is two games down in the loss column to undefeated Panther Valley.Minersville 300 000 0 - 3 4 3Marian 001 000 0 - 1 8 1Nettles, Leiby (7) and Andruchek; Nahas and Snerr.