Brad Holt threw like the prospect he is Friday night, one-hitting Akron through a season-high, five innings in Binghamton’s 2-1 win over the Aeros before a season-best crowd of 5,132 at NYSEG Stadium. Holt walked three and struck out four to pick up his first win of the year.
It was a pitcher’s duel from the outset as Holt and Akron starter Alex White threw up zeroes through the first two innings. Binghamton (23-24) broke through against the Indians’ 2009 first-round pick in the third inning. Reese Havens, who had been out of the lineup since May 19 due to injury, led off the frame with a double down the first-base line. Jon Malo moved him up to third with a groundout to second and Kirk Nieuwenhuis drove Havens home with a sacrifice fly to right, getting the B-Mets on the board 1-0.
Holt got himself into trouble in the next half inning and appeared to be on the ropes after walking the first two hitters. Beau Mills strode to the plate with two on and nobody out and smashed a ball to deep center that had extra bases written all over it, however, centerfielder Jon Malo sprinted to the warning track and corralled the screaming liner to save Holt. The righty then made quick work of the Carlos Rivero and John Drennen to keep the shutout intact.
In the fourth, Binghamton extended its slim margin to two. Eric Campbell led off the inning with the first of his two singles. A passed ball off the glove of Akron (19-29) catcher Damaso Espino moved Campbell into scoring position. Carlos Guzman then smartly moved him up to third with a groundout to second. Omir Santos followed and grounded out to short with the infield in, forcing Campbell to hold his ground out third. However, with Havens at the plate, White uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Campbell to tally, upping the lead to 2-0.
Holt exited after hurling a 1-2-3 fifth inning, striking out the final two men he faced to put an exclamation mark on his outing. Scott Shaw, who was recently removed from the starting rotation, made his second career relief appearance following Holt. Shaw acquitted himself well with 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief, and handed the ball to Roy Merritt in the eighth after allowing a one-out single to Akron’s leadoff hitter Tim Fedroff. Merritt got the next two men to preserve the 2-0 margin.
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