Eastern Illinois softball got outdoors for the first time this spring on Friday opening the 2026 season at the Battle in the Boro Tournament with a pair of opening day losses.  EIU fell to Western Kentucky 11-1 in the season opener before a 12-4 loss to host Georgia Southern.

WKU 11, EIU 1 (5 inn).
In the season opener for Eastern Illinois, Western Kentucky jumped out of the gates with five runs in the first before finishing with an 11-1 win.

Kennedy Stinson had a two run double and Charlotte Herron added a two-run home run for the big Hilltoppers hits in the first inning against EIU starter Karlie McKenzie (0-1).

Trailing 9-0 in the third, EIU put a run on the board with the first collegiate home run by Hillary Springer.  Springer was one of four Panthers with hits in the opener, joined by Mo Hance, Abbi Hatton and Sophia Olman with singles.

Western Kentucky improved to 2-0 with the win after an earlier win over UNC Greensboro in the tournament.  Maddy Wood (1-0) picked up the win.  Morgan Sharpe had three hits for WKU.
 
GA SOUTHERN 12, EIU 4 (6 inn).
In the night cap for the Panthers, EIU cut into a 5-0 Georgia Southern lead in the top of the sixth inning only to see the host Eagles plate seven runs in the bottom of the inning for the 12-4 win.

Bryanna French (0-1) pitched into the fourth for EIU before Kyla Maxwell was able to break the scoreless game with an RBI to shallow right field.  Braelyn Queen made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the inning.

Georgia Southern (2-0) pushed the lead out to 5-0 with Payton Cushman's two run double in the fifth.

Eastern Illinois (0-2) battled back in the top of the sixth as Emily Konkel scored an unearned run to start the scoring.  Alisha Frederick came home to score on an infield hit by Mo Hance for the second Panthers run before Lizzie Stiverson delivered a two-run single to center.

The Panthers had seven hits in the game with Hillary Springer providing the lone extra base hit with a pinch hit double, her second extra base hit of the day.

In the bottom of the sixth, Georgia Southern started their big rally innocently enough with an RBI single to shallow left field.  The scoring ended with a three-run home run by Delanie Thames and a solo homer by Cushman to end the contest.

Bailey Holland (1-0) picked up the save with Shaylin Stringer getting a save by closing out the Panthers threat in the sixth.