H&R Staff Writer
SHELBYVILLE — All it took was one pitch from his 9-year-old daughter for Tony Moll to know she could be special.
Forget that the ball went over his head and the backstop; Grace’s ball possessed the “snap” to get your attention.
It was enough to send her new instructor, Stephanie Fitzpatrick, raving to her dad about the new girl she worked with. Fitzpatrick saw the wildness, too, but that was nothing new for a kid Grace’s age who possessed enough raw power to impress a former college pitcher.
The area got its first taste of Grace in high school this season with Shelbyville and hitters were in awe, too. She allowed only 54 hits in 22 games on her way to a 21-1 record, a 0.98 ERA and 291 strikeouts in 135 innings. All of that success earned her 2010 Herald & Review Area Player of the Year honors as a freshman.
“You can never judge how good you are going to be and you never want to go into it thinking you’re going to be great,” Moll said. “Have a positive and under control attitude. I would have never gotten that many wins without my teammates behind me.”
Moll has been able to keep her career in perspective, but plenty of people knew she would terrorize batters this year. There was talk about her long before she ever threw her first pitch in high school and Fitzpatrick had a good idea of what to expect.
“I think we all knew that she was going to have an outstanding season,” said Fitzpatrick, who’s a Stephen Decatur grad who played college softball in Evansville, Ind. “The 43 feet has made a big difference in high school ball and her movement and velocity kept her in games. You have to have both to be outstanding at 43 feet and she was.”
Just like that first pitch she threw to her dad, Grace always had plenty of movement and speed.
Thanks to Fitzpatrick and Moll’s willingness to work, Moll has been able to harness that wildness into a gift inside the circle. During Fitzpatrick’s first year of working with Moll, the 10-year-old progressed unlike most kids her age. Moll went from throwing 50 mph to 56 right away.
“The thing that sets her apart is that she has a drive, intensity and competitiveness that other girls her age don’t have,” Fitzpatrick said. “She’s a smart girl, too, and you pick that up right away.
“It’s hard to think about her as just a freshman.”
Moll’s maturity is evident throughout conversation. Moll doesn’t hesitate when detailing how important the other eight players on the field are or why consistent preparation for every opponent is important.
Her words mirror those of a coach or an upperclassman who’s been leading a team for a couple years.
“Where she is at today is with a lot of folks’ help,” said Tony, who started up a travel softball team when Grace was 9. “She’s wise beyond her years and I don’t think you can put a value on it.”
There have been some tangible results so far.
The year round competition and every day practice helped her hit .459 and drive in 29 runs this season, too. She’s also competing on a the Midland Magic ’94s, which is a 16-under, A-ball travel softball team that features some of the best players from the Midwest.
“We travel around and I have fun and enjoy it,” Moll said. “It’s never been about being good, it’s about having fun and just playing the sport I love.”
Moll is still eligible to play 14-under, but she’s playing up two years, which is something she’s familiar with.
She’s also seen her velocity increase to the high 60s and recently hit 72 on a gun, which is the fastest she’s thrown. That speed came after a couple weeks off, which had to come at a terrible time for Shelbyville.
The combination of throwing three games in four days back in early May, which was capped by a 4-0 win against Effingham St. Anthony, and lifting weights in P.E. irritated her ulnar nerve in her throwing elbow. The irritation caused pain, so she wasn’t available late in the season.
“The timing was horrible for the regionals,” Tony said. “For her it was the first time she had experienced any type of pain, so we decided to shut it down.”
St. Anthony coach Crystal Tipton was completely impressed with Moll when the Bulldogs faced her thanks to — you guessed it — the velocity and movement. Tipton was just appreciative the umpire measured the mound that day because the alternate field after rain was only 40 feet.
“Grace brought the heat,” said Tipton, who played with pitchers in junior college who topped out at 65 mph. “I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like at 40.”
Fitzpatrick said Moll’s already heard from plenty of college coaches and there’s no doubt in her mind she’s a Division I talent, mostly because she possesses great leadership qualities that include a strong work ethic.
“The possibilities are endless for her,” Fitzpatrick said. “Any program would be floored with her leadership in the circle. She’s a gamer. She will play 110 percent and any program would be ecstatic to have her.”
Despite plenty of talk that Moll is leaving Shelbyville, Tony emphasized his family wouldn’t relocate for softball and Grace is excited about what the next three years have to offer.
“I hope it’s bright, but it just depends on our motivation the next couple years,” Grace said about the next couple years. “It’s a team sport, not just a pitcher and catcher. There are nine players on the field and without those nine you can’t win games.”
Again, Moll proving she’s not your typical freshman.
lbridges@herald-review.com|421-6970
Published in the Herald & Review in June 2010.
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