Box Score

The Basics
Score: Eastern Illinois 5, Western Carolina 3
Records: Western Carolina 0-1, Eastern Illinois 4-3
Location: Boiling Springs, N.C. (Brinkley Stadium)

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- Western Carolina softball opened the 2018 season with a 5-3 loss to Eastern Illinois at the Catamounts opening game of the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament at Brinkley Stadium.

Turning Point
With Western Carolina leading 2-3, Eastern Illinois' Mady Poulter hit a two RBI triple to give Panthers the lead and eventual win.

How it Happened
Western Carolina took the early lead in the game scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first. Abigail Daniels was hit by a pitch to open the game and two batters later junior Hunter Gibbons blasted a two-run homerun to give WCU the early 2-0 lead. Eastern Illinois tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. In the top of the sixth, Western Carolina retook the lead when Ashlyn Long led off with a single past second base. With the bases loaded after a hit by a pitch and a single by pinch hitter Kaily McNeil, Long scored thanks to a sacrifice fly RBI by Addie Pate. Eastern Illinois answered in the bottom of the sixth inning with three runs to take its first lead of the game and eventual victory.

Inside the Box Score
- There were a combined 13 hits in the game with six from WCU and seven from EIU.
- Gibbons had two RBI in the game off her two-run homerun.
- Sophomore hurler Kinsey Liscio got the start for Western Carolina and tossed a complete game. She falls to 0-1 on the season allowing five runs on seven hits and struck out three.

News & Notes
- Western Carolina is now 3-10 in opening season games.
- With the homerun against Eastern Illinois, Gibbons has 18 in her career continuing to rank her 10th in the WCU record books. She needs two to move into ninth place.
- Freshman Kailey McNeil got her first hit as a Catamount in the game against EIU.

Up Next
Western Carolina will be back in action at 10 a.m. Saturday morning facing Western Illinois in day two action of the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb.  Later in the day, the Catamounts will look to avenge their loss to Eastern Illinois with a 4 p.m. rematch.

For the latest information on Catamount softball, follow @catamounts on Twitter or go to www.catamountsports.com.