Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
19-9, 2-1
Georgia State
18-11, 1-2
Herd Softball Breaks Through to Top Panthers, Win Series
3/15/2026 5:19:00 PM | Softball
ATLANTA, Ga. — Marshall Softball broke through against the Sun Belt's leading pitcher through the early part of 2026 with five runs over its final two at-bats, running away with a 7-1 road victory over Georgia State to win its first league series of the season.
The Herd is now 19-9 with a 2-1 conference record. The loss drops the improved Panthers team to 18-11 - six more wins than in all of 2025 - and the 1-2 league record.
"Georgia State's much improved pitching challenged us, but I am proud of the adjustments we made at the plate throughout the series," Head Coach Morgan Zerkle said. "Our pitchers did a phenomenal job limiting them all weekend."
Starter Jules King pitched a complete game in the win, with her one run allowed as a result of a rain-soaked error preceding a 22 minute rain delay. King struck out seven - her ninth appearance this season with five-plus strikeouts.
Marshall pitching has an incredible 0.85 ERA over its last 11 games.
Solo shots the opposite way for Ava Blake and Abby Darnley gave the Herd a 2-0 advantage before the rain came in the 5th. With Darnley's first homer of the season, nine Herd players have now hit a long ball in 2026.
Abby is our ninth player with a home run this season on this SHOT 🧨 https://t.co/bawzg5OVxn pic.twitter.com/HJByjYUkzx
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 15, 2026
King worked around the leadoff runner at second base and a three ball count after the delay to limit the Panthers to one in the 5th, setting up Marshall's late breakthrough.
Speed from a pinch-running Sydney Turner scored the Herd's third run in the 6th. Turner stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and raced home to beat the throw on a sacrifice fly. MU stole four bases on Sunday.
Haleigh Adkins led off the Marshall 7th with a leadoff triple before scoring on a wild pitch. RBI hits from Bella Gerlach and Sydni Burko's 10th home run effectively sealed the series-clinching victory.
BURKO BREAKS IT OPEN 🧨
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 15, 2026
Sydni's 10th the season and our third of the day makes it 7-1 Herd! pic.twitter.com/lq1YRO39Y9
UP NEXT
Marshall's originally scheduled doubleheader at Radford on Tuesday will be canceled with an impending bad forecast.
For all the latest information about Marshall Softball, follow @HerdSB on Twitter and Instagram.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: King, Jules (8-5)
L: Makayla Stephens (13-5)
Batting:
2B: Hoskins, Chandler 1
3B: Adkins, Haleigh 1
HR: Burko, Sydni 1 ; Blake, Ava 1 ; Darnley, Abby 1
RBI: Gerlach, Bella 1 ; Burko, Sydni 2 ; Blake, Ava 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 1 ; Darnley, Abby 1
SF: Leslie, Diamond 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gerlach, Bella 1 ; Burko, Sydni 1 ; Turner, Sydney 1 ; Blake, Ava 1 ; Adkins, Haleigh 1 ; Taylor, Makayla 1 ; Darnley, Abby 1
SB: Turner, Sydney 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 1 ; Simpson, Paige 1 ; Taylor, Makayla 1
CS: Leslie, Diamond 1
Batting:
RBI: McKenzie Walker 1
SH: Zoey Defoor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ciarra Jefferson 1
CS: Caitlyn Hall 1
