Marshall baseball finished with a three-game sweep against Saint Louis on opening weekend in Hoover, Alabama.

On Friday, the Herd won 11-4, with a solid offensive performance racking up 12 hits. Çam Harthan, Kyle Schaefer and Gabriel Cabrera all had one hit. Luke Edwards, Owen Ayers and Eddie Leon each had two hits. Gio Ferraro racked up three hits on three at-bats.

Starting pitcher Patrick Copen pitched four innings, striking out eight with three hits given up.

The winning pitcher was Bryce Blevins, with two innings pitched, striking out one while giving up two hits.

Brady Baxter and Chad Heiner also pitched; Baxter gave up two hits while striking out two. Heiner gave up zero hits while striking out two.

“We played with purpose and energy,” Marshall Baseball Head Coach Greg Beals said after the first win. “Our men were one supporting each other and the mission.”

On Saturday, the herd won 8-4, with two solid offensive innings in the fourth and eighth, scoring three runs in each.

Marshall started quickly in the first inning after Ferraro scored on a Cabrera ground out to the shortstop.

Saint Louis responded in the third inning after a wild pitch from starting pitcher Raymond Pacella, tying the game 1-1.

Later in the fourth inning, Marshall scored three runs on a Cabrera double to left center, scoring Shafer; an Ayers double down the line, scoring Cabrera; and a Kelber Peralta ground out to the second baseman, scoring Ayers, making it 4-1 Marshall.

In the fifth inning, Saint Louis responded with a three-run home run from Tyler Fogarty, tying the game 4-4.

Marshall then added a run in the sixth inning after Schaefer’s single to right center, scoring Ferraro, making it 5-4 Marshall.

Later in the eighth inning, Marshall added three more runs on an Edwards fielder’s choice to shortstop, a Cabrera single, and a wild pitch, making it 8-4, which would close out the game after Ryan Capuano’s save, striking out the side.

The winning pitcher was Drew Harlow, pitching three innings with seven strikeouts.

Beals said game two was a learning experience.

“This was a good win and learning experience,” he said. “We need to be able to win close games and learn how we did it. The guys played with great intensity, made plays defensively and executed offensively when we needed it.”

On Sunday, the Herd won 10-5 after a slow start.

Marshall was down four runs by the second inning after an error causing two runs, a single giving up one and a solo home run.

Saint Louis kept the 4-0 lead until the top of the sixth inning when Marshall took the lead 5-4 after Harthan singled, scoring Daniel Carcini and Leon; an error by the second baseman, scoring Edwards; an Ayers sacrifice, scoring Shaefer and a Ferraro double, scoring Cabrera.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Saint Louis responded with a fielder’s choice that scored Patrick Clohisy, tying the game 5-5.

In the top of the ninth inning, Marshall scored five runs from a Schaefer double, scoring Edwards and Harthan; a wild pitch, scoring Schaefer; Calin Smith single, scoring Ayers and a Carinci single, scoring Ferraro, closing out the game 10-5.

Starting pitcher Zac Addkinson pitched three innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs while striking out four.

Peyton Scholfield and Cole Agemy came into relief, pitching a combined four innings, giving up one hit and five strikeouts.

The winning pitcher was Ryan Capuano, pitching two innings, giving up one hit while striking out two.

“Great start to the season, today was not a clean game, but we found a way to win,” Beals said after clinching the sweep in his first series with the Herd. “Our men competed very well late in the game. The bullpen, (Peyton) Schofield, and (Cole) Agemy, did a great job keeping us in the game, and then (Ryan) Cap came in again to shut it down. We learned a lot about ourselves and need to keep growing.”

This series win marks the best start since 1990.

Marshall will next play in another three-game series against Charleston Southern starting Friday at 4 p.m. in Charleston, South Carolina.