Alva Review-Courier -

SHAWNEE, Okla. – Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball suffered a 15-5 defeat Friday night at the hands of the Oklahoma Baptist University Bison in the first of a three-game Great American Conference series. Despite the Rangers exploding for five runs in the top of the first, OBU roared back to score 15 unanswered in what would be a run-rule-shortened contest capped at seven innings.

Judah Zickafoose (2-for-3, 2 RBI, BB) had the lone extra base hit for the Rangers, a one out double to right that scored Justin Bundy and Daschal Johnson for the game's first runs. Brendan Kates and TJ Kassner would add RBI singles as Northwestern was able to jump out to a quick 5-0 lead before starter Matt Goertzen had even taken the mound.

But a determined Bison squad rallied for six two-out runs in the bottom half of the first, chasing Goertzen after he allowed two home runs in the frame, giving OBU a 6-5 lead after just one inning of play.

Oklahoma Baptist added two in the third off reliever Brandon Nesseralla, as the redshirt sophomore issued two walks and hit a batter, giving the Bison an 8-5 edge through three. Nesseralla had his off-speed pitches working for him as he recorded strikeouts on all seven Bison batters he retired in his 2.1 innings of work, despite five free-passes (4 BB, HBP).

Head coach Ryan Bowen looked to a pair of freshman relievers to try to tame the Bison lineup, but neither Bryson Wrobel nor Trevor Stone was able to get out unscathed.

Northwestern's offense couldn't manage to get much of anything going after the first as OBU starter Mychal Yarbor held the Rangers to just two earned runs over his six innings on the hill. Yarbor struck out nine before giving way to Andrew Eppenbach who threw a clean seventh to end the game.