BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene picked up GAC play Friday afternoon as they hosted Northwestern Oklahoma State, falling to the Rangers 10-7 in Game 1 of the series.

The Rangers were the first to break out the runs beginning in the third inning, firing up two home runs that earned them the early 3-0 start. 

Southern Nazarene answered with a single run in the bottom half of the third off of a Carson Kinnaird ground out to send Cole Embrey home. 

That was the last of the SNU runs seen through the next few innings while NWOSU continued to run up the score. 

The Rangers snuck in one run in the fourth inning, but exploded in the fifth, putting up a single and a grand slam to quickly balloon their lead to 9-1. 

The homeruns continued come easy for NWOSU, getting another one to go in the sixth to take their lead to 10-1. 

SNU was able to cut the deficit to eight in the bottom half of the sixth with a Chance Bufford single to score Colby Entwistle. The Storm kept the Rangers scoreless in the seventh, and tacked on another run of their own from an Oliver Wilson ground out that sent DJ Van Atten home for the score. 

The bats awakened in the 8th for SNU, with Cole Embrey cracking a double to set up Dax Edmonds for the single, who got the RBI to put SNU behind 10-5. The Storm cut the deficit down to three when Kinnaird smacked one to center field, rewarding Van Atten and Edmonds the trip home. 

In the final inning, SNU held the Rangers at their three-point lead, looking to erase the deficit in the bottom half of the inning. NWOSU held up on the mound and delivered SNU their last and final out to win Game 1 of the series 10-7. 

Southern Nazarene will have two more chances at the Rangers, hosting a doubleheader Saturday, March 11th at noon.