BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene's welcome home after a week on the road wasn't as they had hoped as the visiting Bisons from Harding claimed Game 1 of the series after their 9-5 victory on Feland Field.

The Storm (3-25, 0-16 GAC) cracked 12 hits that game, but the Bisons' (16-10, 9-7 GAC) 14 and their seven stolen bases was all they needed to come away the win in the first game of three.

Harding put up a two-run single to open the contest, holding a slim 2-0 lead to start. Southern Nazarene was able to halt the lead, putting up two of their own in the second after two singles by Oliver Wilson and Cole Embrey would plate DJ Van Atten and then Wilson that inning to tie the ballgame.

The Bisons answered with four more runs in the next two innings to move the game to 6-2. SNU cut the four-run deficit down to three after Brian Brown singled to right field to give Embrey the trip home.

In the fifth, Harding answered again with a pair of runs to send their lead to 8-3. EJ Taylor brought it back within four after his solo home run in the 6th inning, earning his sixth homer of the year.

Harding went quiet in the 7th and 8th, leaving SNU to close the gap some more after Colby Entwistle's single to shortstop would advance Drake Irby in for the score and the Bisons' lead was quickly cut down three at 8-5.

Harding made it a four-run game once more in the 9th, but SNU faced troubles at the plate in the final stretch, seeing no signs of a comeback as Harding took the 9-5 victory in series opener.

Taylor finished 2-4 with SNU's only homerun that game while Entwistle and Wilson each recorded a 2-5 finish and an RBI.

Embrey and Brown also recorded an RBI a piece, finishing 2-4 and 1-4 respectively.

Van Atten recorded the Storm's only double with his 1-5 finish.

Through 4.1 innings, relief pitcher Jacob Owen recorded two strikeouts, allowing only four hits and a single run.

SNU meets Harding once more to close out the series on Saturday, March 26th with a doubleheader set for noon.