Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Lazer baseball team rode strong pitching performances by Jacob Shortslef and Pat Merryweather to a sweep of Mohawk Valley Community College in the first round of the NJCAA Region III Division III Baseball Tournament.  Onondaga will advance to the Region III Final Four next Friday through Sunday at Veterans Memorial Park in Little Falls, NY.  Pairings and game times will be announced following the conclusion of this weekend's quarter-final series.

The Lazers took the opener, 9-1 in 7 innings as Shortslef scattered 9 hits and struck out 7.  David Nuzzo and Chris Rave were the hitting stars, each going 2 for 3, Nuzzo with 3 RBI's and Rave with 2.  Onondaga went up for good in the 2nd inning, scoring 3 runs on a two-run double by Nuzzo and an RBI single by Zack Traver.  The Lazers scored 3 runs in the 5th on an RBI single by Nuzzo and a two-run triple by Ed Tagliareni.

Onondaga also prevailed in the nightcap, 6-0, as Merryweather gave up 4 hits and struck out 6 in 9 innings.  Tagliareni picked up 3 hits and scored twice to lead the Lazer offense.  The Lazers never surrendered the lead after the 3rd inning, scoring one run on an RBI single by Ryan Paige.  The Lazers also got two-run rallies in the 6th and the 8th innings.  They scored in the eighth on an RBI single by Tagliareni and an RBI single by Ryan Paige.

The Lazers are now 37-9 on the season, and ranked #3 in the nation in the most recent NJCAA Division III national poll.