ALVA, Okla. - The Southern Nazarene softball team closed the regular season on Saturday afternoon as they dropped a pair of games, and the series, to Northwestern Oklahoma State by the scores of 11-8 and 2-1 (8). Despite the loss, SNU punched their ticket into the GAC Tournament next weekend in Bentonville.

In the first game, SNU dug themselves a pretty deep hole, falling behind 5-0 in the first inning. SNU got one back in the second on a solo shot from Caitlyn Curlee, but Northwestern added three more runs in the third inning to push the lead out to 8-1.

SNU tried to get things going offensively, getting one back in the fourth on a RBI single from Brooke Stutz, and following that with two in the fifth ona . RBI single from Skye Ah Yat, who latered scored on a passed ball to make it 8-4.

However, the Rangers put another three spot on the board in the bottom half of the fifth to push the game back out to 11-4, pushing SNU on the brink of a short game.

But the Crimson Storm did not falter as Riley Kalman crushed a three run bomb in the sixth inning to make it 11-7. Stutz added another RBI to her day in the seventh, but it was not enough as the Crimson Storm dropped the first game, 11-8.

Brooklyn Sparkman got the start and would take the loss for SNU. Five different pitchers took the circle for SNU, but they could not slow down the hot hitting Rangers.

Hailie Fellers was 4-for-4 with a run scored while Kalman was 3-for-4 with a double, a homer, and three RBI. Curlee added a 2-for-4 day with a homer and two runs scored while Ah Yat was 2-for-3. Stutz was 1-for-3 with two RBI.

The second game had a completely different tone as it was a pitching battle between Mahina Sauer and Alli Wells.

Neither team could muster a run until the sixth inning when a RBI single gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead. SNU would get it back though in the top of the seventh as Sauer singled to even the game at one.

The game would move to extra innings where the Rangers were able to finish it off and take the 2-1 win in the bottom of the eighth. 

Sauer pitched 7.1 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and striking out four. She was also 2-for-3 with a RBI. Reilly Schlard was 2-for-3 with Kai Sanchez was 1-for-3 with a stolen base.

SNU moves to 25-29 overall and 20-23 in the GAC. They will be the No. 6 seed at the upcoming GAC Championship in Bentonville as they take on Harding in first round action at 9 AM.