State Liners blanked; Pulaski’s Seth Buchanan homers twice

He was pinned with his sixth defeat on Saturday evening, but he certainly deserved a better fate.

Bobo carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning but was still tagged with the L as the State Liners dropped a 3-0 decision to the Elizabethton River Riders at Joe O’Brien Field.

A right-hander from Lincoln Memorial University, Bobo is now 1-6 with a 5.54 ERA.

His final line on Saturday included two runs on three hits in six innings pitched, while walking two and striking out four.

That doesn’t tell the whole story was he dominated for five innings.

Elizabethton scored twice in the sixth as Josh Hines (Florida Southern) delivered a two-out, two-run single.

Hines also drove in a run against Bristol reliever Brooks Lang (Towson) in the eighth inning via an RBI single.

Meanwhile, the State Liners (16-27) managed just five hits and struck out 10 times against six Elizabethton pitchers.

Tyler “Z-Man” Zedalis (Old Dominion), Mikah Conner (Presbyterian), Jett Johnston (Auburn), Hunter High (Tennessee) and Zak Rice (Alabama A&M) had those hits.

Elizabethton starting pitcher Dane Bjorn (Tennessee) crafted four scoreless innings, while Johnny Montgomery (Alleghany Community College) picked up the win in relief.

It was the fourth time this season the State Liners have been blanked.

The State Liners have just three games remaining in 2024 and maybe forever if a stadium issue in Bristol isn’t resolved.

After an off day on Sunday, Bristol visits the Johnson City Doughboys on Monday.

In another Appalachian League game on Saturday, rising Virginia Military Institute (VMI) sophomore Seth Buchanan (Lebanon) hit two home runs as the Pulaski River Turtles bludgeoned Bluefield, 20-3, at Bowen Field.

Buchanan played for the Bristol State Liners during the 2023 season.