MONROE, La. - Georgia Southern softball plated three runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth to nab a 6-4 extra-inning win over host UL Monroe in both teams' Sun Belt Conference opener on Friday afternoon in Monroe.

The Eagles improved to 6-11 overall and 1-0 in the league with the victory, while ULM fell to 13-6 overall and 0-1 in the Sun Belt. The two teams will continue their three-game league series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. ET tilt from the ULM Softball Complex.

Kastin Belogorska for the Eagles and Kinsey Kackley for the Warhawks dueled in the circle for four and half innings, putting up zeroes. ULM ended the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out rally that plated four runs, capped by a Korie Kreps two-run triple.

The Eagles got a run back in the top of the fifth on Faith Shirley's sacrifice fly that scored Madi Banks. Georgia Southern had two runners on with the tying run at the plate in the sixth, but Kackley got a fly out to end the threat.

In the top of the seventh, Ashlynn Gunter led off the frame with a double down the left field line, then Olivia Creamer singled up the middle to chase Kackley. A wild pitch from reliever Gianni Hulett brought the second run home, then a throwing error by the Warhawks made the score 4-3. Faith Shirley delivered a first-pitch RBI single to score Ashleigh Duty and send the game to extras.

Aniston Johnson led off the top of the eighth with a double, then Janai Conklin's RBI single put the Eagles in front. Madi Banks provided some insurance with a bases-loaded RBI single for the 6-4 lead. Belogorska worked a perfect eighth inning to secure the victory.

Belogorska improved to 2-5 on the season with seven innings of six-hit, four-run ball, walking one while striking out five. Hulett fell to 1-2 on the season with one inning-plus of two-hit, two-run ball, striking out one.

Banks, Johnson and Gunter all had two hits for the Eagles on the day, while Shirley drove in a pair of runs.