Hamel, Gervase Spin Shutout to Sweep Somerset, Ponies Advance to Eastern League Championship Series
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Dom Hamel and Paul Gervase combined to spin a three-hit shutout for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (2-0, 74-61) to sweep the Somerset Patriots in the Northeast Division Series on Thursday night at TD Bank Ballpark. Binghamton had advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series for the first
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Dom Hamel and Paul Gervase combined to spin a three-hit shutout for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (2-0, 74-61) to sweep the Somerset Patriots in the Northeast Division Series on Thursday night at TD Bank Ballpark. Binghamton had advanced to the Eastern League Championship Series for the first time since 2014.
Hamel (1-0) went toe-to-toe with Somerset’s Richard Fitts and had one of the best starts of his professional career. He struck out eight batters over a career-high 7.2 scoreless innings. Hamel allowed just three hits and issued two walks. The 24-year-old faced the minimum in five separate innings.
The Ponies got on the board in the third inning. Hayden Senger ripped a single the opposite way and Rhylan Thomas followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Luisangel Acuña followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Senge to make it 1-0.
In the fifth inning, Senger smoked a line drive solo home run to left field to give Binghamton a 2-0 lead. He had an RBI single in the series opener Tuesday and an RBI and two runs on Thursday night. Senger hit five homers in the regular season and two at TD Bank Ballpark.
Somerset (0-1, 84-53) threatened in the eighth inning with a runner on third and two outs. Paul Gervase came in to relieve Hamel and got Trey Sweeney to ground out to Jett Williams on the eighth pitch of the at bat to close out the inning.
Gervase closed out the game and earned the save, setting down Somerset in order with two strikeouts in the ninth.
The Rumble Ponies will open the Eastern League Championship Series at Mirabito Stadium on Sunday against the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
Postgame Notes: Hamel has thrown 21.2 consecutive scoreless innings over his last four starts, including his final three starts of the regular season…Gervase has spun seven-straight scoreless relief outings, including his final six outings of the regular season…Drew Gilbert went 2-for-4 and Senger went 2-for-3.