Late Surge From Marshall Downs Dukes in Sun Belt Home Opener

Friday, March 21

Harrisonburg, Va.

4 p.m.

James Madison University

11-14, 0-4

Marshall

17-13, 3-1

Marshall

James Madison

Late Surge From Marshall Downs Dukes in Sun Belt Home Opener

3/21/2025 7:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

HARRISONBURG, Va.- Headed into the seventh inning with a 4-2 lead, James Madison softball surrendered three home runs in the final frame to fall to Marshall by a score of 6-4 in its Sun Belt home opener on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Park.

Payton List took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning, then proceeded to walk the bases loaded after letting up her first hit of the game.

A four-run third inning by JMU (11-14, 0-4 SBC) aided List's hot start in the circle, with RBI doubles by Kylee Gleason and Reed Butler. With her two hits on the day, Gleason has six multi-hit games during the 2025 campaign, which is second on the team behind List with 12.

Marshall (17-13, 3-1 SBC) crawled back, scoring at least a run in the last three frames, leading up to the keynote seventh inning encapsulated by three Marshall home runs.

Paige Maynard slammed the door for the Thundering Herd, earning the win by going three innings and allowing just two hits.

How It Happened
Third Inning

Gleason took the first pitch she saw to left field for an RBI double to left field, scoring the runner from first for a 1-0 lead
Butler followed suit with a two-run double, this time to right field for a 3-0 JMU advantage
The Dukes scored their fourth run of the inning on Butler stealing home

Fifth Inning

Marshall's Bub Feringa walked with the bases loaded to make it 4-1

Sixth Inning

Lindsay Benson scored the Thundering Herd's second run of the game on a JMU fielding error

Seventh Inning

Rielly Lucas homered to right field to cut the lead to one, 4-3
Diamond Leslie put Marshall ahead, 5-4, on a two-run home run to left center field
Chandler Hoskins added an insurance run on a solo shot to center field to make it 6-4

Game Notes

JMU suffered its first loss at Veterans Memorial Park of the season, after starting the home slate winning six straight
James Madison is 5-6 against Marshall all-time and 4-3 since becoming Sun Belt Conference members in 2023
The Dukes' four runs in the third, marked their seventh big inning (four-plus runs) of the season
With a run scored in Friday's game, Butler is now three runs shy of 100 career runs scored
JMU is 0-11 when it does not hit a home run