Senior pitcher Mariah Fritz has led the East Marshall softball team to a 12-2 start to the season. Fritz has an earned run average of 0.38 and has recorded 142 strikeouts in a little over 91 innings of work. She also has plenty of help as the Mustangs average nearly 8 runs per game.

“I am pretty lucky, it definitely helps my make my job in the circle easier,”Fritz says.

Fritz says she uses a variety of pitches and says the rise ball is her strongest pitch, but she mixes in the change and the curve along with the fastball.

East Marshall is ranked fifth in class 3A and Fritz says their goal for this season is to improve upon last year’s 4th place finish at the state tournament and says they have a good chance to win the title this year. East Marshall returns to action Thursday at home against Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

(Reporting by Chris Varney KGRN Grinnell)