EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior shortstop Jordan Rager (Fishers, Indiana) had a two-out, RBI- single in the top of the fifth inning and sophomore pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings as University of Southern Indiana Softball claimed a historic 1-0 win over Green Bay Saturday morning at UE's Cooper Stadium.
 
The victory came in the Screaming Eagles' first-ever NCAA Division I softball game and comes on the heels of a historic 2022 campaign that saw USI win its third NCAA Division II regional title in the last five years.
 
USI (1-0) broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning after sophomore outfielder Kennedy Nalley (Huntingburg, Indiana) drew a one-out walk. Nalley advanced to second base after senior first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) grounded out to third base.
 
Following a two-out walk to junior catcher Sammie Kihega (Greenfield, Indiana), Rager hit the first pitch she saw through the middle of the infield to score Nalley.
 
In the circle, Newman picked up where she left off a year ago as the 2022 NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year finalist struck out seven batters while allowing just two hits and a walk in a relief appearance to pick up the victory.
 
Newman (1-0), a preseason Ohio Valley Conference Player to Watch, earned the win after coming into the circle with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom half of the second inning. Senior pitcher Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) started the game and had a perfect first inning, but a pair of walks helped the Phoenix load the bases with no outs in the second frame.
 
Goodin got the Eagles in position to get out of the second-inning jam with a strikeout before giving way to Newman, who struck out the first batter she faced before getting a foul out for the third out.
 
Green Bay (2-4) got just three runners on base the rest of the game, with just one runner reaching second base.
 
The Eagles return to action Sunday at 9 a.m. when take on Green Bay for the second time. USI finishes its season-opening weekend Sunday at 7 p.m. when it squares off against host University of Evansville for the first time in a regular-season contest since 1992.
 
Notes
Saturday's win marked the first season-opening victory for the Eagles since the COVID-shortened 2020 season and just the second season-opening win since 2017…former USI third baseman and SAAC president Mary Bean '22 is an assistant coach for Green Bay. Bean was a four-year starter at third base for the Eagles…both Rager and senior second baseman Rachel Martinez (Chicago, Illinois) went 2-for-3 on the day at the plate. Rager extended her current hitting streak to five games dating back to the end of 2022, while Fair's walk in the first inning marked the 10th straight game she's reached base safely in.