Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
17-13, 3-1
JMU
11-14, 0-4
Late Heroics Lift Herd Softball Past JMU in Series Opener
3/21/2025 10:22:00 PM | Softball
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Marshall Softball (17-13, 3-1 SBC) scored four runs in the 7th inning to stun James Madison (11-14, 0-4 SBC) in the opening game of a three-game set in Harrisonburg.
Freshman Diamond Leslie hit a no-doubter to left-center to score Bub Feringa, flipping a 4-3 deficit into a 5-4 lead. It is only the Alpharetta, Georgia native's second collegiate home run but the Herd's most impactful so far this season.
Redshirt freshman Chandler Hoskins followed with a solo shot of her own to add to the inning, making it the first back-to-back home runs hit by the Herd in 2025.
The Hoskins homer capped four consecutive hits from the Herd offense in the 7th. The one-out rally started with Rielly Lucas mashing a screaming home run to right field.
Our three home runs in the go-ahead 7th inning! pic.twitter.com/9VOWjOmbkS
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 21, 2025
The come-from-behind win gave Paige Maynard the victory in relief. Maynard pitched the final three innings, holding the Dukes to just two hits to allow for the Herd offense to mount the comeback.
Marshall relief pitching with Maynard and Jules King held JMU scoreless over the final 4.1. The MU defense also played a role with center fielder Kasia Parks' diving catch in center to start the final of three double plays the team turned.
KASIA PARKS OH MY 😱
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 21, 2025
What a diving play in center to double up the JMU runner pic.twitter.com/725g5V7jUG
The Herd offense was held without a hit until two outs in the 5th. A Brooklyn Ulrich single followed by free passes to Parks, Lucas and Feringa got Coach Morgan Zerkle's side on the board. A two-out error in the 6th scored Haleigh Adkins before the team erupted in the 7th.
Game two Saturday is at 1 p.m. Sunday's finale has been moved up to 11:30 a.m.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Maynard, Paige (6-3)
L: Fleet,Kirsten (6-5)
Batting:
2B: Adkins, Haleigh 1
HR: Lucas, Rielly 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 1 ; Hoskins, Chandler 1
RBI: Lucas, Rielly 1 ; Feringa, Bub 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 2 ; Hoskins, Chandler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ulrich, Brooklyn 1 ; Lucas, Rielly 1 ; Feringa, Bub 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 1 ; Hoskins, Chandler 1 ; Adkins, Haleigh 1
HBP: Parks, Kasia 1
Batting:
2B: Gleason,Kylee 1 ; Butler,Reed 1
RBI: Gleason,Kylee 1 ; Butler,Reed 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Legzdin,Cali 1 ; Gleason,Kylee 1 ; List,Payton 1 ; Butler,Reed 1
SB: Butler,Reed 1 ; Edwards,Madison 1
