With only one game separating the Binghamton Rumble Ponies from the league-leading Patriots entering the day, Sunday’s matchup had plenty of potential postseason implications. Somerset capitalized on the moment, knocking Dom Hamel out of the game after 3 2/3 innings, handily beating the Ponies by a score of 8-0.

With the loss, Binghamton falls to two games back of Somerset in the second-half Northeast Eastern League standings.

Despite his early exit, Hamel showcased a quality arsenal mixing his 92-94 mph fastball and his mid-80s slider at an even rate. Despite the middling velocity, his heater played up as a byproduct of its low release height and low VAAs, traits that drove the Mets to draft the Dallas Baptist product in the third round of the 2021 MLB draft.

Dominic Hamel has just been selected 81st overall by the @Mets ! The story on Hamel is his very low VAA which is generated by his low release point and carry on his Fastball. Here are visuals of that movement and release point. @DBU_Baseball @DomHamel27 pic.twitter.com/d9cuh48QyS

— BaseballCloud (@BaseballCloudUS) July 12, 2021

Hamel wasn’t his sharpest, but until Aaron Palensky knocked his final pitch out of the ballpark, the right-hander kept Somerset off the board. He poured in strikes at a 62% rate, inducing four fly-outs and two ground-outs. The abbreviated 68-pitch outing represented the fourth-shortest start by the right-hander this season; he’s averaged 77 throughout his 20 starts in 2023.

Reid Brignac turned to Wilkin Ramos to serve as tonight’s fireman. Ramos poured in mid-90s heat throughout his two-inning appearance but he faltered in the sixth.

With one out in the frame, Jesus Bastidas walked, stole second, advanced to third on the ensuing throw that Acuña couldn’t corral, and then trotted home on a deep sac fly off the bat of Jeisson Rosario. The following batter, Palensky, walked, necessitating a pitching change.

Daison Acosta replaced Ramos and was greeted rudely by Somerset shortstop Max Burt, who smacked Acosta’s first pitch off of the advertisements above the yellow line in left field.

Former Patriot Matt Minnick kept Somerset off the board with a 20-pitch seventh, but the Patriots tacked on three more in the eighth off of Trey McLoughlin to put the game out of reach.

On the offensive side, the Ponies weren’t able to generate much. Drew Gilbert did his best one-man show, tallying a first-inning single. In the seventh, he tried to advance to second on a pop-up that fell in left field but was thrown out trying to advance by Jasson Dominguez.

Drew Gilbert picks up right where he left off yesterday. His first-inning single is the fourth time he’s reached base in his last five plate appearances

Bottom 1: Bing 0 | Pats 0 pic.twitter.com/g0Gwibdtaj

— MetsMinors.Net (@Mets_Minors) August 13, 2023

JT Schwartz‘s well-struck seventh-inning double represented the only other base knock for the Ponies. Since returning from an IL stint, the lefty’s slugged to a .422/.490/.578 triple-slash, entering Sunday. Schwartz swing’s looks different from his April 2023 iteration; the swing change’s produced positive results so far.

Sunday’s matchup represented the last regular-season game between the two clubs as they enter their postseason push. Somerset already clinched its postseason spot by placing first in the league in the first half.

To earn a postseason berth, Binghamton will need to finish above the Patriots in the second-half standings or finish top two in the full-season Northeastern Eastern League Standings. In the full-season rankings, the Ponies currently place third, sitting 4.5 games behind the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox’s Double-A affiliate.

Starting on Tuesday, the Rumble Ponies will take on the Sea Dogs in a six-game set in Portland.