Marshall University Athletics
Marshall University
14-8
Akron
7-15
Herd Rolls to Pair of Victories on Home-Opening Day
3/6/2026 9:04:00 PM | Softball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Pitching was dominant and hitting strung together hits late as Marshall Softball earned a set of wins Friday at Dot Hicks Field.
The Herd (15-8) scored six runs in its final two at-bats to defeat Akron in a warm sun-splashed opener, 9-1. Marshall then put up four runs in the 6th on the heels of a three-RBI performance for Ava Blake, shutting out Canisius, 6-0 under the lights.
Look up and say goodbye!
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 6, 2026
Ava Blake's seventh of the season gives us a 2-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/EPno2S02Ye
In both contests, starters Jules King and Paige Maynard combined to strike out 15 as the bats got going for Coach Morgan Zerkle's Herd.
"I think the nerves are out of the way so I want to see our offense attack even harder and just continue to show Huntingon what we've been doing," Coach Zerkle said.
As a note, Saturday's schedule has been changed with weather, the Herd will now face the Zips at 10 a.m. to beat impending weather. Akron and Canisius will follow the game as Marshall March Madness continues.
First Game: Marshall 9, Akron 1 (6-Innings)
Bella Gerlach's 4-for-4 performance from the leadoff spot had the Herd in front quickly. After her leadoff double in the bottom of the 1st, the senior scored on a throwing error attempting to cut down Ava Blake following her first of five hits Friday.
A Chandler Hoskins RBI safety squeeze-turned hit and a Gerlach RBI rip in the 2nd gave Jules King a three-run advantage.
King, Marshall's junior pitcher, had five strikeouts by the time she took the circle in the 3rd, in her seventh appearance this season with five or more punchouts.
RBI hits from seniors Paige Simpson and Abby Darnley put the game out of reach before Diamond Leslie's bases-loaded walk ended the game in the 6th.
Several freshmen made their mark on the base paths in the opener, including a debuting Kate Spry, who scored the game-ending run.
Second Game: Marshall 6, Canisius 0
Paige Maynard was masterful in the circle, allowing just two hits while striking out five for her fifth win of the season. Maynard retired the Golden Griffins in order in five of the seven innings she pitched, including an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play she started in the 4th.
M4 | The 1-6-3 DP ends the visitor 4th! pic.twitter.com/eqNHD0r7fh
— Marshall Softball (@HerdSB) March 6, 2026
Blake's two-out, two-run moon shot in the 3rd scored Sydni Burko for the Herd's first home run at home in 2026. The sophomore went the opposite way for a triple off the wall to score Makayla Taylor and start the four-run rally in the 6th. A hustle single by Leslie and Ramey George's RBI knock gave the insurance for Maynard.
The Herd has now won six-consecutive games and 10 of its last 11.
UP NEXT
Marshall faces Akron at the new 10 a.m. start Saturday.
For all the latest information about Marshall Softball, follow @HerdSB on Twitter and Instagram.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: King, Jules (6-4)
L: Sydney Selker (0-2)
Batting:
RBI: Lily Sullivan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brooke Sivek 1
SB: Meagan Lee 1
Batting:
2B: Gerlach, Bella 2 ; Simpson, Paige 1
RBI: Gerlach, Bella 1 ; Blake, Ava 2 ; Darnley, Abby 1 ; Leslie, Diamond 1 ; Simpson, Paige 2 ; Hoskins, Chandler 1
SH: Leslie, Diamond 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gerlach, Bella 2 ; Turner, Sydney 1 ; Spry, Kate 1 ; Blake, Ava 1 ; Darnley, Abby 1 ; Simpson, Paige 1 ; Adkins, Haleigh 1 ; Taylor, Makayla 1
SB: Turner, Sydney 1 ; Blake, Ava 1
HBP: Hoskins, Chandler 1
