ALVA, Okla. — Southern Nazarene picked up a 7-4 win Monday over Northwestern Oklahoma State in the first game of a doubleheader before falling 8-0 to close out the series.
 
In the opener, Christian Dent put the Storm on the board in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly to left field to score Joe Toilolo. SNU pushed it to 2-0 in the third on an Emilio Escobedo fielder's choice that scored Cole Lee. The Rangers tied it in the bottom of the fourth with two, but the Storm answered in the top of fifth with two. SNU took advantage of a Northwestern error before Jake Vernon drove home Austin Cooper with a single to left to lead 4-2.
 
Northwestern got it to a one-run game again in the sixth at 4-3, but SNU erupted for three in the top of the eighth. Lee drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run of the inning before a wild pitch made it 6-3. Cole Wagner drove in the final run of the inning with a single to the left side to lead 7-3.
 
The Rangers tried to rally in the bottom of the eighth, but scored just one. That was the only run Austin Cooper gave up in relief as he pitched the final two innings and gave up just one hit. Davis Gustafson (4-5) as he gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings with the start. Cody Tolbert faced the minimum in one inning of relief as well.
 
The Storm had nine hits from seven different players as Cole Wagner went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Tanner Maskey also went 2-for-4.
 
In the nightcap, SNU was held to just two hits as the Rangers scored runs in the second through six innings to pull off the win.
 
Lee and Escobedo had the only hits for the Storm. Jefferson Harris (0-0) took the loss after giving up eight right, only four of which were earned. He struck out one in six innings of work.