BY TIM HAYES
Bristol Herald Courier
BRISTOL, Va. – The youngest member of the Bristol White Sox pitched like a seasoned veteran on Wednesday night.
Left-hander David Holmberg combined with reliever Santos Rodriguez on a two-hit shutout as the BriSox claimed a 3-0 victory over the Pulaski Mariners in the first game of an Appalachian League doubleheader at DeVault Stadium.
The BriSox (25-37) completed the doubleheader sweep with a 2-1 victory in the second game.
In the opener, Holmberg (1-2, 4.63 ERA) carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning and finished with five strikeouts to earn his first professional victory. The Florida native commanded both sides of the plate
and had all of his pitches working.
“It felt good,” Holmberg said. “Me and [Bristol pitching coach Curt Hasler] worked in the bullpen throughout the week on what we needed to do to get better. I just took that to good use and used it tonight.”
Hasler has been pleased with the progress of his 18-year-old protégé.
“He might be the youngest guy in the league,” Hasler said. “He’s mature, and he’s willing to learn. He’s a no-nonsense kind of guy and very aggressive in his approach. There’s no substitute for that aggressiveness.”
Pulaski didn’t record a hit until Steven Baron singled to left field in the fifth inning. Holmberg responded by getting the next hitter, Gabriel Noriega, to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.
Holmberg was the 71st overall pick in June’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and bypassed a scholarship to the University of Florida to play professionally. He’s enjoyed the pro experience and being around his older teammates thus far.
Outfielder Brady Shoemaker, at 22-years-old one of the oldest players on the team, backed Holmberg’s strong start with two hits and a RBI.
“I think it’s been fun,” Holmberg said. “I’ve learned a lot from the older guys, for sure. I’m just picking it up as a good and using every start as a learning tool and moving on from there; coming out, throwing strikes and attacking the zone.”
Rodriguez earned his fourth save, striking out three and allowing a single in two innings of work.
“He throws gas,” Holmberg said. “He’s a great pitcher.”
That said, Holmberg savored his first victory as a pro.
“It really does feel pretty good,” he said.
In the nightcap, Shoemaker’s two-run double in the sixth inning scored Jared McDonald and Anthony Casario, erasing a 1-0 deficit and clinching the victory.
Reliever Daniel Wiltz (4-2, 3.06 ERA) was the winning pitcher after tossing two shutout innings.
Bristol plays host to Pulaski today at 7 p.m., before an off day on Friday.
The final home game of the season is Saturday against the Mariners.
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