What you need to know:

* Georgia State went 1-1 on Opening Day, beating WKU 13-1 and losing to Mississippi State 4-0.

* The Panthers recorded 14 hits in the win over WKU, but were held to just three against Miss St.

* GSU continues the Bulldog Kickoff Classic with a game against Stephen F. Austin Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Georgia State's softball team kicked off the 2017 season with a bang, pummeling Western Kentucky 13-1 in five innings before falling to host Mississippi State 4-0 on the first day of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.

Game 1: GSU 13, WKU 1 (5)

Georgia State won its season opener for the first time since the 2014 season. The Panthers used two errors to score four runs in the opening frame. After a quiet second inning, the Panthers exploded for eight runs in the third to take control. Mandy Blackwell and Remington Hasty each went 3-for-4 on the day and each had two RBI. Hasty, Kensey Caldwell and Megan Litumbe all had doubles for the Panthers in the win.

Freshman Emily Soles made her debut in the circle and was impressive. She allowed one run on just three hits to pick up her first career win, a five-inning shutout.

Game 2: Miss St. 4, GSU 0

Georgia State's offense didn't see the same explosiveness in the second game of the day. The Bulldogs held the Panthers to three hits and no runs. Sophomore Arden Jobe had two of the hits for GSU. Annie Davis entered the game to pitch in relief for the Panthers with one out in the third. Davis would go the remaining 3.2 innings and allow only one hit and no earned runs, keeping GSU within striking distance.

The Panthers play again Saturday morning at 11 a.m. ET against Stephen F. Austin to continue the Bulldog Kickoff Classic.