The Elizabethton River Riders used up six pitchers on Saturday to shut out Bristol in the series finale, 3-0.
Elizabethton (17-26) broke the scoreless tie against Bristol (16-27) in the sixth after Joshua Hines (Florida Southern) singled to score two. The River Riders were held without a hit until the sixth.
The River Riders added another run in the eighth to seal it. Hines singled with two outs to score another run. He finished the night with two hits and three RBI.
Bristol tried to rally in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate. With two outs and Sam Novotny (Johnson County Community College) on the mound, Elijah Alexander (Oklahoma State) lined out to left field to end the game.
Johnny Montgomery (Niagara) got the win for the River Riders, his third of the season. He pitched one inning in relief, allowed one walk and struck out one. He did not allow a hit. The River Riders also got one inning from Carson Caudill (Purdue Fort Wayne), one inning from Zane Danielson (Purdue Fort Wayne), one inning from Cole Torbett (Middle Tennessee) and the ninth from Novotny. Dane Bjorn (Tennessee) got the start for Elizabethton, his first of the season. He pitched four innings, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out five. Caudill, Danielson and Torbett were all given holds while Novotny recorded his second save of the season.
Ethan Bobo (Lincoln Memorial) was tabbed with the loss for Bristol. He pitched six innings as the starter, allowed three hits, two runs, two walks and struck out four. The State Liners also got 1 2/3 innings out of Brooks Lang (Towson) and 1 1/3 innings from John Chambers (Johnson County Community College).
Elizabethton finished with five hits and no errors. Bristol finished with five hits and two errors.
The River Riders will be back in action on Monday night in a doubleheader with the Greeneville Flyboys. First pitch for Game 1 is set for 5:30 p.m. at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. Both games will be seven innings.
