Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
25-28
#2 Seed Texas State
43-13
Herd Softball’s Season Ends in SBC Quarterfinals
5/10/2024 5:11:00 PM | Softball
Team ends season as Sun Belt’s top hitting team
SAN MARCOS, Texas — Marshall softball's 2024 campaign has come to an end following an 8-2 quarterfinal loss to the 2-seed and hosts, Texas State.
Driving in the runs in the Herd's final game were senior Camryn Michallas and freshman Destiny Washington.
Senior Savannah Rice pitched six innings in relief in her final appearance in the circle for MU. In the team's two tournament games, Rice threw 235 pitches across 15 innings of work, allowing just four earned runs.
Coach Morgan Zerkle's first season as head coach of the Thundering Herd finishes with a 25-28 record. The team improved upon its conference batting average, hitting .332 this year, compared to .305 last season. 2024 saw the program need to replace five regular starters.
"My biggest takeaway has been rolling with the punches," Coach Zerkle said. "It was my first season, so I was inexperienced in that exact role and we had a lot of young people on the field this year who had not been in that spot before. So for the team to be able to do your best with what you're given, I think we did great with that and grew so much."
A big part of the team's 2024 success was All-SBC First Team member Brooklyn Ulrich. The redshirt-sophomore led the team with two hits Friday in a year where she had a team-high 69 hits, 19 doubles, and a .394 average.
"We have a great offense," Ulrich said. "That is one thing that we are definitely going to carry into next year and all of the following years. We are very good at going at pitchers, that is just something that we missed today, but that is what is going to carry on to next year with Coach Z. She has taught us very well how to be a great offensive team, how to be ourselves in the box."
A four-run 1st inning for the Bobcats made circumstances difficult for the Herd, facing the league's Pitcher of the Year, Jessica Mullins. Texas State added two in the 4th and two in the 6th to pad its lead.
The game originally scheduled for Thursday night was moved to Friday following severe weather in the San Marcos area. As a result, TXST will face South Alabama later on Friday in the semifinal round. The Bobcats are one of two SBC teams (Louisiana) who are firmly in the 2024 NCAA Tournament field regardless of result.
"I am very passionate about mid-majors, as a player myself at Marshall," Zerkle added. "To be a mid-major which consistently competes at Regionals is something Marshall wants to get to. Our goal will be to be one of those teams that gets to NCAA Regionals very soon."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jessica Mullins (28-8)
L: Feringa, Bub (12-11)
Batting:
2B: Washington, Destiny 1
RBI: Michallas, Camryn 1 ; Washington, Destiny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Parks, Kasia 1 ; Washington, Destiny 1
SB: Ulrich, Brooklyn 1
Batting:
2B: Sara Vanderford 2
3B: Emilee Baker 1 ; Sara Vanderford 1
RBI: Hannah Earls 1 ; Emilee Baker 1 ; Sara Vanderford 4 ; Piper Randolph 1 ; JJ Smith 1
SH: Sydney Harvey 1
SF: JJ Smith 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hannah Earls 2 ; Emilee Baker 2 ; Sara Vanderford 1 ; Anna Jones 1 ; Katarina Zarate 1 ; Sydney Harvey 1
SB: Hannah Earls 1 ; Anna Jones 1
CS: Dani Laughlin 1
