LE GRAND — East Marshall softball is playing with a winning combination entering the state tournament.
A high-scoring offense, paired with a strong defense led by ace pitcher Morgan Neuroth, has the Mustangs galloping into Tuesday's Class 2A state quarterfinal against Lisbon in Fort Dodge.
East Marshall (32-4) is the No. 4 seed in the 2A tournament and will face the fifth-seeded Lions (27-12) at 12:45 p.m. at Iowa Central Field at the Rogers Sports Complex.
The Mustangs outscored their regional tournament opponent, 32-3, including an 11-1, five-inch victory over Ogden to reach their first state tournament since 2019.
“That says a lot about our offense,” East Marshall coach Jary Hoskey said. “We've had some games in the home stretch of the regular season with the bottom half of our lineup taking a hit, but recently we've had [Ashtyn] Wheat, [Libby] Atcher, and [Makayla] Kerber sets the table for the guys early in our series to drive more drives.”
Witter, hitting No. 7 in the Mustangs' lineup, hit a grand slam in the game against Ogden and is tied with Peyton Grabenbauer and Bailey Grant for the team lead with four games apiece this season. All three are hitting over .400 this summer, as are Rayne McIlrath (.410) and Neuroth (.425).
“That's what we're working towards,” McIlrath said. “Most of our team have been in the gym working on things since December, so we've been working really hard on this and I'm glad it's paying off.
“This is what the seniors wanted to do all five years.”
As a team, East Marshall's .351 team batting average is second only to West Monona (.383) among 2A qualifiers, and the Mustangs have also hit 95 doubles to lead all categories.
“Our hitting and defense was a big thing that improved from last year,” Kerber said. “And just seeing how we played together last year, we knew we'd have a chance this year.”
Neuroth's attack serves to help her own cause in the firing circle. The DMACC commit leads all pitchers on 2A state qualifying teams with 271 strikeouts compared to just 23 walks and 37 earned runs allowed in 179 2/3 innings.
“He's a gamer,” Hoskey said. “And she's probably as hard on herself as anybody, if she ever makes a bad pitch, she'll say, 'Hey, that's my fault.' … I like it on the mound for us, I'll put it that way. He's one of the best pitchers in Central Iowa.”
Lisbon's road to Fort Dodge included wins over Denver (7-0), Jessup (12-1) and a 4-2 sweep of Osage in the regional finals.
The Lions are in their first season since legendary coach Bob Bunting stepped down and lost six seniors from last year's team, but are back in the state tournament for the seventh straight season.
They're a hard-hitting team with 25 home runs as a team this season, second only to Northeast (32) among 2A qualifiers. Andy Petersen has seven of those home runs with a .348 average. Sarah Dietsch adds six homers with 28 RBIs and a .367 average.
“I think we have a chance against any team we play as long as we go into it with the mindset that we've been the last few games,” East Marshall senior Ava Bringmann said. “We just have to carry that momentum into the state tournament and I think if we keep that mindset going, we'll be fine.”
Lisbon eighth-grader Kyla Kahl has thrown 163 1/3 innings with 136 strikeouts, 84 walks and 73 earned runs, which on paper would show a statistical advantage in the circle for the Mustangs.
But all bets are off when you're dealing with a team that knows the ropes of the state tournament like Lisbon.
The Lions tied for fifth last year. Lisbon is looking for its first first-round state win since 2021, when it finished second in the state.
“Lisbon are good, that's why they're in shape,” Hoskey said. “We will have to play very well to be competitive with them.”
This week will be full of moments worth remembering, regardless of the final results, Hoskey said. Neuroth, McIlrath, Kerber and Bringmann are the four seniors who will finish their school careers at the state tournament.
“I think all the girls just have to soak up everything, the aura of being in the state tournament,” Hoskey added. “The magnitude of that is something they should never forget – I know my daughters never forgot it, it just sticks with you. … These four seniors have led us to where we need to go. They came on weekends starting in January and were there consistently throughout. They set an example of what it takes to be successful and reinforced it.
“Even the younger girls have to accept that and know that they're one of the eight best 2A teams in Iowa, that this is something they can take and continue to build on after the season is over.”