MONTGOMERY, Ala. – University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of losses on its first day of competition to open the 2026 schedule on Saturday, as the Screaming Eagles fell 9-1 in five innings to Nicholls State University before an 8-2 loss against Northern Kentucky University at the Alabama State University Stinger Classic in Montgomery, Alabama.
 
In the season-opening contest against Nicholls State (2-2), USI Softball (0-2) faced a tough start with Nicholls tallying three runs in the first inning. The Colonels tacked on three more in the second frame to take a 6-0 lead. Meanwhile, the Screaming Eagles recorded a pair of hits through the first two innings but could not get the bats truly rolling.
 
The Colonels posted another three-spot in the top of the fourth inning, pushing their lead to 9-0. USI collected another pair of hits and scored a run in the bottom of the fourth, but Nicholls State got out of the inning and closed out the game in the fifth.
 
USI totaled four hits, with senior outfielder Olivia Money registering a hit and an RBI in the contest. In the pitching circle, sophomore pitcher Kylie Witthaus (0-1) was dealt the loss in the season-opening start, lasting 3.1 innings pitched with two strikeouts and surrendering nine runs – seven earned – off eight hits and four walks. Freshman pitcher Anna Kemp made her USI debut in relief, tossing 1.2 innings scoreless.
 
For Nicholls State, senior pitcher Averi Paden (1-0) received the win after allowing one run in four innings of work.
 
In the nightcap, USI met Northern Kentucky (2-2) to renew an old Great Lakes Valley Conference rivalry when both schools were Division II. The two sides met for the first time since 2012.'
 
The first three innings went scoreless, as freshman pitcher Elly Robbins made her USI debut and first career start.
 
The Norse broke up the scoreless tie with three runs in the top of the fourth inning and three more in the top of the fifth to surge ahead 6-0.
 
The Screaming Eagles cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of sac flies by freshman outfielder Katelyn Marx and junior infielder Sydney Long to make it a 6-2 ballgame. However, Northern Kentucky scratched across a run in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the game.
 
Marx, making her first career start in the USI batting order, notched her first multi-hit performance with two hits for the Screaming Eagles. Senior infielder Julianna Hibbs and junior utility Angelia Davis each stepped up with pinch hits and later scored, respectively, on the Marx and Long sac flies.
 
Robbins (0-1) wound up with the pitching loss, going 4.2 innings with four strikeouts and allowing six runs – four earned – off seven hits and two walks. Kemp followed again in relief, pitching the final 2.1 innings and giving up two runs - one earned.
 
For Northern Kentucky, freshman pitcher Abigail Byrd (2-0) earned her second win of the tournament for the Norse after allowing two runs in four innings pitched. Fellow freshman pitcher Makaree Chapman picked up a three-inning save.
 
Following Saturday's season-opening games, the Screaming Eagles have a quick turnaround to conclude the Stinger Classic on Sunday. USI begins the Sunday slate at 9 a.m. against Murray State before concluding the weekend's action against host Alabama State at 1:30 p.m.
 
Coverage and live stat links are available on the USI Softball schedule page on usiscreamingeagles.com. All games can be seen on hornetssportsnetwork.com (payment required) except for Sunday's game against Alabama State, which can be seen on tv.swac.org.