BETHANY- Coming off a two-game winning streak, the Southern Nazarene Baseball team welcomed the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers into Bethany for a weekend Great American series starting on Friday.

The Crimson Storm struggled to get in a rhythm as the Rangers built a lead late to take game one 12-2 on Friday afternoon at Feland Field. 

SNU compiled nine total hits to an NWOSU 16, but today's primary culprit was Southern Nazarene's inability to produce at the plate as the Rangers tossed nine strikeouts. 

By the bottom of the 7th inning, Northwestern built an eight run lead, leaving the Storm in quite the deficit. Then SNU finally got on the board when Clay Lockett sent a solo shot over the center-field wall. 

After that, Lockett solely tried to kickstart the Storm's engine as he would again homer at the bottom of the 9th, but this was to no avail as the Rangers lead was insurmountable. 

Clay Lockett was the most efficient from the plate as homered twice while going 3-for-5 and collecting two RBIs. Jarrett Phillips followed behind as he turned in a 2-for-4 outing. 

Other notables were EJ Taylor, Colby Entwistle, Austin Glock, and Peyton Vinyard who each registered a hit apiece.

Triston Graves (L, 1-5) pitched for most of the contest as he threw through 5.1 innings and struck out four. Jacob Johnson and Brandon Rezek both saw action in 1.2 innings while Rezek collected one strikeout. Others in the rotation were Tanner Bare and Zach Birkle, who both pitched for under an inning. Birkle also struck out one. 

Southern Nazarene will finish off their series tomorrow in a doubleheader with the Rangers. First pitch is scheduled for noon.