ALVA, Okla. - In the conference opener of the 2020 baseball season, SNU dropped both games in Saturday's doubleheader. 

What started out as a struggle in the first game for the Storm as they fell 13-1, turned into a competitive matchup in the second game of the doubleheader as they finished on the negative side with a 3-2 loss. 

In the first game, the battle was pretty neck-and-neck going into the bottom of the fourth as the score sat at 2-1, NWOSU. The Rangers then found their sweet spot in the fourth as they put together an eight run inning. The lead was too unsurmountable as Northwestern would then add three more runs in the sixth to close things out at 13-1.

Colten Cassida led SNU as he went 1-2 from the plate, accounting for one RBI as well. Peyton Vinyard would accompany Cassida in this effort as he went 2-2 and scored the only run of the game for the Crimson Storm. Tyler Broyles, Clay Lockett, and Eric Guiterrez would each go 1-3 on the day to round things off for Southern Nazarene. Brett Rexroad got the start on the mound for the Storm as he was able to strikeout three batters in the 3.2 innings he pitched. Rexroad was accredited with loss, bringing his season record to 1-2. Noah Serrano would come in to relieve him as he pitched 1.1 innings and struck out a batter. Zach Birkle would complete things on the mound for SNU as he came in to pitch one inning. 

The second game of the doubleheader saw a much more competitive clash as the Storm allowed just three runs. By the bottom of the fifth, the score read a NWOSU 3-0 lead, but a fire lit in SNU as they erupted with a two run inning to make things closer. The Crimson Storm comeback began and ended in the sixth inning as the Rangers put a halt to everything as the ending score sat at 3-2. 

At the plate for SNU, Brian Brown was the most efficient as he went 2-3, bringing in one RBI as well. Eric Guiterrez would follow with a 1-3 performance, scoring one run and bringing in another. Clay Lockett would be responsible for the other score of the Storm as he went 1-3 too. Carlos Michel was the only other Southern Nazarene player with a hit as he completed his day going 1-3. Triston Graves got majority of the time on the mound for SNU in the second game, pitching 4.2 innings and striking out three batters. Brandon Rezek would come in as a relief and pitched 1.2 innings, striking out two batters. 

Southern Nazarene will be back in action tomorrow, Sunday, to end of their weekend in Alva. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.