The University of Southern Indiana women’s softball team began their 2011 home season with two Great Lakes Valley Conference losses on Sunday.  The Eagles played the University of Missouri- St Louis and lost the first game, 11-3, as well as the second 5-3.

The Eagles encountered a series of mistakes the first game. “We left 10 runners on base and we gave up some big hits,” head coach Sue Kunkle said. “We played a lot better the second game, but it just didn’t go our way at the end.”

Despite dropping the first two home season games, the Eagles are a lot more talented this year than last and the outlook on the season is a lot better, according to Kunkle. The Eagles return 11 players as well as ten new students to the roster.

Before the Eagles opened up at home this weekend, they took a 10-day road trip where they played 12 games. In past years, the Eagles would come back 2-10, or something similar. This year the Eagles came back 8-4, a testament to the outlook of the season, according to Kunkle.

“Our conference is very sporadic in terms of competition,” Kunkle said. “This weekend, some of the best teams lost to the worst in our conference. We always have to play our best.”

This Saturday, the Eagles will play another series of home games at the softball fields located in the middle of the intramural fields just off Broadway. Any donations raised will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the Lady Eagles will be wearing light pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month.

“We felt like this year was a good year to do this,” Kunkle said. “The women’s basketball team does it as well, and the girls take an active role in it.”

The first 50 students that show up to the game will receive a free shirt. Admission is free with a student ID. The first pitch against Bellarmine will be thrown at noon.