HARRISONBURG, Va. (JMU Athletics) – A two-out fielding error by James Madison softball opened the door for eight unearned runs in the first inning for Marshall, as they powered past the Dukes in run-rule fashion by a score of 14-4 in Sun Belt Conference play on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park.

Marshall (18-13, 4-1 SBC) tied a single-game program record, hitting six home runs in its rout of JMU (11-15, 0-5 SBC) to cruise to a run-rule victory in five innings of play.

Rielly Lucas was responsible for two of the six for the Thundering Herd, finishing the afternoon going 2-for-3, scoring three and driving in three.

Hannah Hennessy recorded the first triple of the season for the Dukes and the second of her career, pinch-hitting in the fifth inning. While Madison Edwards earned her team-leading seventh double of 2025, to drive in a run in the bottom of the third.

How It Happened
First Inning
• After a two-out error, Marshall’s Chandler Hoskins took the first pitch she saw over the left field fence for a grand slam.
• Haleigh Adkins followed up with a two-run home run to center to put Marshall up by six
• Brooklyn Urlich hit the third home run of the inning for the Thundering Herd, another two-run shot to left center making it an eight-run inning

Top of the Second Inning
• Bub Feringa launched Marshall’s fourth home run of the day, a two-run shot and putting the Herd in double-digits, 10-0

Bottom of the Second Inning
• The Dukes got on the board with a bases-loaded hit by a pitch with two outs
• The next batter was Legzdin who walked with the bases loaded, to force in the second run of the inning

Third Inning
• Madison Edwards doubled to center field to score List from first base and make it 10-3
• Lexi Rogers pushed another run across the plate with a sacrifice fly to right, cutting the lead to six

Fourth Inning
• Rielly Lucas hit Marshall’s fifth home run of the day, a solo shot to center to add to their lead, 11-4
• Paige Simpson walked with the bases loaded to knock in another run for the Thundering Herd

Fifth Inning
• Lucas notched her second home run of the day for a two-run shot, to put Marshall in run-rule position, 14-4

Game Notes
• Marshall’s 14 runs are the most James Madison has given up in a game since falling 24-2 to Duke in seven innings on April 12, 2022. It is also the most runs scored against JMU in a five-inning game since then-No. 18 Georgia put up 19 runs in a 19-11 defeat on Feb. 21, 2020
• Hennessy’s triple in the fifth was the second of her career, her first being against UNCW on April 21, 2021
• Edwards and Reed Butler extended their hitting streaks to four games
• Six home runs by the Dukes’ pitching staff on Saturday were the most this season and the most since Duke hit 10 on April 12, 2022, as well

— JMU Athletics —