ATLANTA - Georgia Southern freshman Bailey Holland spun a three-hit shutout and the Eagles hit a pair of home runs to take a 4-0 Sun Belt Conference softball series-opening victory over host Georgia State on Friday afternoon in Atlanta.

The Eagles (15-21, 5-8 SBC) also claimed their first road win of the season with the victory over the Panthers (15-26, 4-9 SBC), halting a 15-game road losing streak that dated back to last season. The two teams will resume their series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. contest at Bob Heck Field.

Dejah Mills' RBI single in the top of the first staked Georgia Southern to an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles then made it a 4-0 lead in the top of the third as Janai Conklin drilled a two-run home run, then in the very next at-bat, Olivia Creamer hit a solo shot.

After that it was all Bailey Holland (5-12) as the freshman limited the Panthers to just three hits over seven innings of work, walking one while striking out five. She had four three-up, three-down innings in recording her first collegiate shutout. Elle Doolittle (7-7) took the loss in the circle for the Panthers, giving up five hits and four runs in 2 2/3 innings of work, walking one while striking out three.

The shutout was also the first in Sun Belt play for the Eagles since May 5, 2021, when Aaliyah Garcia beat South Alabama, 2-0.

Mills finished the game 2-for-4, while Conklin's two-run blast was her fourth of the season.