GAINESVILLE, Fla. — FIU's softball program improved to 9-2 overall on Sunday morning with a 3-1 win over Marshall to cap its weekend in Gainesville at the Florida Classic. 

The Panthers continued their hot start to the 2026 campaign on Sunday, using two sixth inning runs and strong pitching to down the Herd, 3-1. Kennedy Byrd (4-0) started for FIU and was fantastic, earning the complete game victory while allowing just one earned run and five hits on 104 pitches, striking out three. 

FIU's 9-2 start is its best since 2001, when the Panthers won 44 games, the second-most in program history. 

Both sides traded runs in the opening frame as Leah Clark's RBI single evened the score at 1-all after one. The Panthers and the Herd were held off the board until the late innings as both teams combined for just three hits from the second to the fifth innings. 

Byrd's dominance kept the game tied, setting the stage for FIU's late rally to secure the win. In the bottom of the sixth, Kally Meredith dropped down a bunt single to start off the inning. Meredith moved to second on a passed ball and then was bunted over to third via a sacrifice from Zamya McBurrows. 

Meredith showed her ability as a menace on the base paths, scoring on a wild pitch to give FIU its first lead of the game. Byrd provided insurance for herself with a double to left, during which she advanced to third on the throw. With two outs, the Panthers struck for a third run as Byrd came home on a wild pitch, giving FIU a 3-1 lead heading into the final inning. 

Marshall's leadoff batter got on base, but an FIU double play, the Panthers' second of the game, erased the Herd's base runner. Byrd finished off her impressive outing, retiring the next Marshall batter to secure the win. The Panthers went 3-2 in their five games in Gainesville, downing Georgia Tech twice, splitting with Marshall and falling to fifth-ranked Florida. 

UP NEXT
FIU returns home for the Panther Invitational next weekend, hosting Florida A&M, Eastern Illinois and Incarnate Word for a tournament, Feb. 20-22. To view a full tournament schedule, visit the FIU Home Tournament Page. 

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