The Onondaga Community College baseball team cruised to a 7-3 win in the opening game against nationally-ranked Northampton Community College before giving up three runs in the seventh inning of the second game to fall, 3-2, on Sunday at the Baseball Complex.

With the split, Onondaga improves to 2-6 overall while the Spartans, who entered the day ranked No. 10 in the latest NJCAA national poll, is now 9-6.

Game One: Northampton 3, Onondaga 7

After sitting the side down in order in the top of the first, Onondaga's bats showed some life in the home half after scoring two runs on two hits with the big blow coming as an RBI-single from Brandon Kapcinski that played Ricky Ortiz who had singled earlier in the frame.

Northampton would load the bases in the top of the second with no outs, but Onondaga's Nate Boughton was up to the task, striking out the next three batters to preserve the two-run lead.

In the bottom of the second, the roles would be reversed as the Lazers would load the bases before an out had been recorded, but was unable to add to their lead as the Spartans escaped any further damage.

After a pair of scoreless innings, Onondaga would double its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dylan Nardocci ripped a single to right field that played both John Larca and Ortiz to give Onondaga a 4-0 lead.

The Spartans would get two runs back in the top of the fifth, but the Lazers would respond in the bottom of the frame after loading the bases.  Facing a full count and two outs, Avery Brooks lined a shot to the left field fence that plated three runs in the process to put the Lazers up 7-2.

Northampton would get a run back in the sixth inning, but any thoughts of a comeback would be put to rest as Ryan O'Neill hurled three strong innings in relief to pick up his first save of the year.

Boughton nailed down his first-career win in an Onondaga uniform after going four plus innings and allowing two runs of three hits while striking out nine.

Game Two: Northampton 3, Onondaga 2

After two scoreless innings to start the game, Onondaga would strike first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third when Eric Thompson belted a two-run single up the middle that scored Nate Budge and Justin Mathers, each of whom had recorded a hit in the inning.

Both teams would swap zeroes until the top of the seventh when Northampton would take a 3-2 lead after loading the bases on back-to-back-to-back singles.  A walk followed by a sacrifice fly and an Onondaga error would turn a two-run deficit into a one-run lead for the visitors. 

The Lazers were poised to tie the game or take the lead as they had runners on second and third base with only one out, but the Spartans would record two outs to seal the win.

Nick Claver went six innings and was responsible for all three runs after surrendering nine hits.  He tallied one strikeout.  Luke Drancsak tossed one inning in relief and did not yield a hit.

The Lazers will return to the diamond at 4 p.m. on Tuesday when they host Ithaca College's JV team at the Baseball Complex.