Maresh leads resurgence of Marian Softball Program

SOUTHFIELD, MI - Don't look now, but the Marian High School softball program is a force to be reckoned with this season in the Catholic League AA Division.

Under the direction of first-year coach Abbey Maresh, the Mustangs are winners of five games in their last six outings and have already surpassed their team win total from a year ago. At 8-7 overall and 5-5 in league play, Marian completed a dominating sweep over neighbor Southfield A&T, winning 21-0 and 19-2 in a pair of three-inning games. Gracie Griffis, Ava Hierlihy and Georgia Zilka all collected a pair of hits in game one with Hierlihy also collecting three RBI's in the rout. Zilka tallied a one-hitter with seven strikeouts in the circle on just 51 pitches for the shutout. Chadsity Manning drove in four runs while new pitcher Hierlihy gave up only two hits and two runs in the nightcap.

Last Friday, Marian won an eight inning, 7-6 thriller in the first game against Troy Athens. Georgia Zilka pitched all eight innings, striking out 11 and surrendering only four hits.

The 6-25 record from the 2023 season now seems like a distant memory. Marian has continually improved in nearly every facet of their play, even after losing four key seniors.

The key? Pitching and fundamentals. Head Coach Abbey Maresh has been pleased with how the team has responded this year.

"I think the amount of time we're putting into practice is really showing," she said. "The kids are always moving at practice and filling open drill stations." Leadership has also been a key factor in the team's success according to Maresh. "It (leadership) has really taken off - not only by our captains, but by some of the underclassmen, too."

The energy on and off the field began early in the season according to Maresh. "They're having fun and they're competitive," Maresh said. "We're p[laying organized softball. We've limited errors, we're being selective at the plate and we're starting to play our game."

The Mustangs continue their season Saturday when they play host to Riverview Gabriel Richard in a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m. For a the complete schedule including box scores, visit the SCHEDULE page.