Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: East Marshall players celebrate during their Class 2A quarterfinal contest on Tuesday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

It was worth the wait for the East Marshall softball team.

Playing in the state tournament for the first time since 2019, the Mustangs unleashed an offensive onslaught — mostly in one inning — and they rolled past Lisbon, 8-1, in a Class 2A quarterfinal on the Iowa Central Field at Harlan Rogers Tuesday.

East Marshall (33-4) is at state for the seventh time in school history, but none of the players on this year’s team had played here before.

They didn’t show it, banging out eight hits and plating seven runs in the bottom of the second inning.

“We talked about early in the year with the players where we would like to be as the season progressed,” said head coach Jary Hoskey, who is coaching in his fifth state tournament at East Marshall. “This was one of the steps along the way. We started to peak around the 17th or 18th game of the season. We started getting timely hitting, good pitching and good defense.

“We really peaked at a good time.”

Sophomore Peyton Grabenbauer provided the big blow on offense, smacking a grand slam in the bottom of the second to give the Mustangs a 7-0 lead. Libby Atcher had an RBI single to start the scoring, then two runs came across on bases-loaded walks.

Grabenbaur left no doubt on her homer, clearing the left-field fence easily as her teammates swarmed out of the dugout. It was her fifth home run of the season.

“I really can’t explain the feeling. I just knew I needed to help the team,” said Grabenbauer, who had never hit a grand slam before. “We had the bases loaded and got a couple runs on walks, but I knew we needed more runs. I never had a grand slam, so it feels pretty good to get my first at state.”

All that offense by the Mustangs was backed by a strong pitching performance from senior Morgan Neuroth, who allowed just four hits and struck out eight.

“It’s so easy to go out and pitch when your offense puts that many runs on the board,” said Neuroth, who will play at DMACC next year. “As a pitcher, you know you can work out of anything.”

Neuroth also played prognosticator. She said she told coach Hoskey that Grabenbauer was hitting a grand slam when she came to the plate.

“I told him it was going to happen and it did,” Neuroth said. “Those are just things we are always going to remember.”

Over the final two innings, just one batter hit the ball out of the infield, flying to center for the second out of the seventh inning.

“She’s such a gamer,” Hoskey said of Neuroth. “She set the career strikeout record earlier this year. It’s sad it’s her last year here. DMACC is getting a heck of a player.”

Neuroth now has 272 strikeouts for the season and picked up her 27th win — most among Class 2A pitchers in the state field.

Atcher finished with two hits for the Mustangs, who face No. 1 seed Van Meter in the semifinals today at 3 p.m. on Iowa Central Field. Van Meter beat West Fork 10-0 yesterday.

“All the teams here are good teams,” said Hoskey. “We’ve got a good team, too. We’ll give them a game.”

Lisbon (27-13) plays in a consolation game Wednesday at 10:30 against West Fork.

EAST MARSHALL 8, LISBON 1

Lisbon 000 010 0 — 1 4 2

E Marshall 070 100 x — 8 8 1

WP–Morgan Neuroth (7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO); LP–Kyla Kahl (1.67 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO); LOB–Lisbon 5, East Marshall 6; 2B–L: Addi Petersen; EM: Bailey Grant; HR–EM: Peyton Graberbauer.