Oklahoma Baptist stayed two games off the playoff pace Saturday with a home doubleheader split with Northwestern Oklahoma State. OBU lost the opener 6-4 before taking the nightcap 7-4.

The top six teams advance to the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. With six conference games to play, OBU is now 10-14 in the SAC. Rogers State currently holds the sixth spot in the SAC standings at 10-11. Northwestern remains in between the Bison and RSU with a 9-12 conference mark. Oklahoma Christian is also in the mix at 8-12.

OBU has next week free of SAC games, then closes out with three with Mid-America Christian (one at home) and three with St. Gregory's.

Rogers State's SAC schedule included three games each with Oklahoma Christian, Wayland Baptist and Lubbock Christian. Northwestern has Oklahoma City, Southern Nazarene and USAO three times each, while Oklahoma Christian has RSU, LCU and Wayland Baptist, in addition to a makeup game with Mid-America Christian.

The Bison trailed 4-0 and 6-1 in the first game and saw their late rallies come up short.

OBU got off the goose egg in the fifth when Justin Trejo doubled and eventually came in on a sacrifice fly by Billy Thomas. That inning ended with the Bison leaving the bases full.

Northwestern pushed two runs across in the top of the sixth after the first two batters were retired to gain the 6-1 edge.

The Bison cut it to 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, getting the first two runners aboard ahead of an RBI grounder by Trejo. OBU left a runner at second in the sixth.

OBU made the deficit a more workable 6-4 when Josh Collazo ripped a two-run home run with one out in the seventh. Fowble was hit by a pitch to put the tying run at the plate, but Andrew Ford shut the door for his team-leading third save.

Jeremy Lawson (5-4) held the Bison to four hits.

Brent Robison (7-2) took the loss.

The win broke an eight-game losing streak for the Rangers.

Northwestern broke out on top with two runs in the first inning of the second game, but the Bison got one back in the second when Victor Manzano singled in Fowble.

OBU then posted four runs in the third on an RBI double by Billy Jarka, an RBI single by Chad Dawkins and a two-run triple by Fowble.
Northwestern cut OBU's lead to 5-4 with a two-run home run by Clint Dodds.

Jonathan Carnes singled in a run in the bottom of the sixth. Carnes would score on a ground ball by Jarka for a 7-4 edge.

Spencer Hylander (4-1) got the win, going the distance for the Bison.

OBU had seven hits in the game, including two by Fowble.

Now 30-15 overall, the Bison play at Northwood Tuesday.