TALLAHASSEE – The No. 7 Florida State softball team (4-0) continued its impressive start to the 2026 with a couple of wins over Marshall (2-2) on Saturday at JoAnne Graf Field. FSU won game one 6-2 and game two 10-2 in five innings. This is FSU’s first 4-0 start since the 2022 season. 

Game One

The Noles wasted no time putting pressure on the Thundering Herd in game one as Isa Torres led off the bottom of the first with a leadoff triple and immediately scored on a wild pitch to give FSU a 1-0 lead after one inning. 

Jazzy Francik was phenomenal once again in the circle as the sophomore threw five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight. The only threat Marshall posed was in the fourth inning as a single, a walk and an error loaded the bases with one out, but Francik struck out the following batter and forced a line drive that was juggled and caught by Marin Heller to end the inning. 

FSU was scoreless in the second and third inning, but Makenna Sturgis woke the bats up in the fourth inning with her first career home run to straightaway center field to give the Noles a 3-0 lead. Torres followed Sturgis with a single up the middle, and Heller added with another single. Torres raced to third and an errant throw allowed Torres to score to make it 4-0 Noles.

The Noles used some two-out magic in the bottom of the fifth as Bella Rugiero picked up her first career hit with a double. Sturgis picked up her second hit of the game with a single up the middle, and a Marshall error allowed the Noles to tack on two more runs. 

Bella Dimitrijevic came in to relieve Francik in the sixth inning. Marshall got two runners in scoring position, but she picked up a strikeout to end the inning. The Thundering Herd hit a two-run homer in the seventh, but Dimitrijevic ended the game with a strikeout to give the Noles the win. 

 

SCORING SUMMARY:

B1 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 1            Torres scored on wild pitch

B4 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 3            Sturgis home run, Bueno scored

B4 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 4            Heller singled, Torres scored on error

B5 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 6            Torres reached on fielding error, Frey and Sturgis scored

T7 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 6             Burko home run, Leslie scored

 

Game Two

Freshman Marlee Gaskell got the start in the circle for the Noles in game two and found her way out of some trouble in the first as Marshall had two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Gaskell picked up her second strikeout of the inning to prevent any damage. Gaskell put up another zero in the second inning.

The Noles got on the board in the bottom of the second as Hayley Griggs tattooed her first career home run of the light pole in center field to give the Noles the early 1-0 lead. The Noles continued the scoring in the inning as Madi Frey and Isa Torres picked up back-to-back walks, and freshman Marin Heller singled to left field to bring home Frey to extend the lead to 2-0. 

Marshall got on the board in the third inning with back-to-back singles and a double, but Ashtyn Danley limited the damage with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout to end the inning. 

Anna Hinde and Makenna Sturgis got the FSU offense going with a couple of singles in the third inning. The Noles were able to take advantage as an error brought a run home, and Torres singled to left field to bring two more runs across to make it 6-1. 

The Thundering Herd were threatening again in the fifth inning. Makenna Reid entered with runners on first and second with one out, but Reid recorded a pop up and a strikeout on just six pitches to end the inning. 

The Noles got back to work in the bottom of the fifth as Griggs drew a leadoff walk, and Frey roped a double down the left field line. Torres and Heller hit back-to-back doubles to make the score 9-2, and for the second night in a row, Shelby McKenzie sent the fans home early with a infield single to complete the run-rule. 

SCORING SUMMARY:

B2 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 1            Griggs home run

B2 | MARSHALL 0, FSU 2            Heller single, Frey scored

T3 | MARSHALL 1 FSU  2             Burko doubled, Leslie scored

B3 | MARSHALL 1, FSU 4            Frey reached on fielder’s choice, Hinde and Griggs scored on error

B3 | MARSHALL 1, FSU 6            Torres singled, Sturgis and Frey scored

T5 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 6             Burko home run

B5 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 7             Frey doubled, Griggs scored

B5 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 8             Torres doubled, Frey scored

B5 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 9             Heller doubled, Torres scored

B5 | MARSHALL 2, FSU 10           McKenzie singled, Heller scored

 

Of Note

• Isa Torres hit her third career triple in her first at bat in the first game against Marshall. Torres’ other two triples came on May 16, 2025, against Robert Morris and March 1, 2025, against Mercer. 
• Freshmen Marin Heller and Hayley Griggs have reached base in all four games this season. 
• Makenna Sturgis hit her first career home run in the fourth inning of the first game to give FSU a 3-0 lead. 
• Hayley Griggs hit her first career home run in the second inning of game two to put the Noles up 1-0.
• Through four games, FSU’s starting pitchers have thrown 17 innings, allowed 1 earned run on six hits while striking out 22 batters compared to just four walks. 
• All four freshmen who recorded an at bat recorded a hit today. 
• Freshmen Marin Heller, Anna Hinde, Makenna Sturgis and Hayley Griggs combined for two home runs, 10 hits and five RBI over the course of two games today. 
• Madi Frey had a career high three runs scored in the second game of the doubleheader. 
• 9 out of the 11 players who have recorded an at bat this season have at least one RBI. 
• FSU improved to 7-0 all-time against Marshall
• FSU improved to 33-5 all-time in the JoAnne Graf Classic.
• FSU’s 4-0 start is its best start since 2022.