ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Johnson City lost the final game of their series against the River Riders, 5-0, on Sunday.
Both pitchers got going quickly, as nobody reached past second base in the first inning.
The Doughboys tried to get on the board first, stringing together a pair of hits in the second, but wouldn’t be able to bring any runs across, leaving runners on second and third.
Jake Bockenstedt started for Johnson City, and he would settle in quick, allowing just one hit in the first three innings.
The fourth would be the closest the Doughboys would get to scoring a run in the ballgame. With runners on the corners, Isaiah Frost hit a slow grounder but was controversially called out by the first base umpire to end the inning.
The fourth inning would bring the first runs of the game for the River Riders, as they’d take advantage of a Doughboys error and then homer over the short fence in right to make it 2-0.
Jacob Bockenstedt would continue to throw well for the Doughboys, striking out 10 River Riders, but would struggle a bit in the fifth. Bockenstedt would issue his first two walks of the day, with a pair of singles ultimately driving in both of the runners to extend the Elizabethton lead to four.
Offensively, the Doughboys wouldn’t have much in the tank; After scoring 14 runs on Friday, Johnson City would score just three combined runs in the final two games of the series.
The Doughboys would go quiet after the fourth, having just two runners reach second, and none reach third following that inning.
Elizabethton would tack on one more, once again taking advantage of a Doughboy error in the sixth, but Gavin Bates would come in and hold it at just one, striking out a pair with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Johnson City wouldn’t have much to show for in the seventh, putting a runner on second, but not being able to drive him in.
The loss Sunday was just the second time all season the Doughboys have been shutout, and the first time the Doughboys have lost going into an off day. The defeat drops Johnson City back below .500 at 19-20, and down to third place in the standings.
Up next, the Doughboys have off tomorrow before welcoming in Princeton for the first time all season Tuesday.
