SHAWNEE, OKLAHOMA -  The Rangers opened a three game series in Shawnee Friday falling by a final score 5-2. Oklahoma Baptist used a four run second inning to open a 4-0 lead before closing out the victory Friday over the Rangers. 
 

Northwestern falls to 15-20 on the season with a 9-13 GAC record. Oklahoma Baptist improves to 17-15 on the year. 
 

The Red-and-Black offense was led Friday by Blake Hoffman with a 2-2 day including both RBIs for the Rangers. Hayden Priest finished the evening with two hits tied for the team high. Bryan Guerrero drew two walks in the loss coming around to score both Ranger runs.
 

Tate Schuermann opened the game for the Rangers, striking out one in the first inning before Ethan Swanson pitched relief, throwing seven innings striking out 10 Bison hitters. 
 

The game opened as the Rangers went down in order in the top half of the first inning. The Bison started the inning off with a leadoff double but Schuermann worked around the double ending the inning with a strikeout. 
 

Northwestern started the second inning well putting their first two runners on in the inning after Hoffman was hit by a pitch and a Shaughn Kelly single. A double play helped Dallas escape without any runs allowed. 
 

In the bottom half of the inning the Bison started with a single before a 2-run home run to right field opened the scoring for OBU on a shot from Gomez. Inning did not end there as the Bison hit three straight singles with nobody out. A strikeout got the first out of the inning before a ground ball fielder's choice scored one with the second run coming on a throwing error giving the Bison a 4-0 lead after two innings. 
 

After the four run Bison inning the Rangers were able to quickly get one back after Guerrero walked as Yugo Hamakawa singled before Hoffman put the Rangers on the board with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 4-1. 
 

Swanson followed that with a 1-2-3 third inning striking out the final batter. In the fourth inning the Bison were able to extend the lead after Kissel had a one out triple to right field but a Lissade single pushed home the fifth run of the night. 
 

Northwestern answered back in the fifth after putting the first two runners on base in the inning before a Brandon Holdren single loaded the bases. Hoffman drove in the second run on a sacrifice fly to center field to bring home the second run and cut the Rangers deficit to five. 
 

Swanson and Dallas dialed in after the fifth as the teams started to trade zeros as Northwestern and Oklahoma Baptist both went down in order in the sixth inning and the Rangers in the seventh. Swanson worked around a single and a walk by striking out the side in the seventh inning. 
 

Northwestern had a scoring opportunity in the eight with a double but were unable to score Hoffman. In the ninth inning the Rangers had a leadoff single but Priest was left on base as the Rangers dropped game on by a final score 5-2 in game one of the series. 
 

Northwestern will return to play on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader with the Bison to close out the series in Shawnee.