The Master’s Academy of Vero Beach softball team already proved it could beat an opponent three times in a season.
The Patriots had to do it a fourth time to extend their season.
“It’s not worrying about what happened in the past and not caring about who the opponent is heading into the game, and just playing your game,” Master’s Academy pitcher Aubrey Grall said. “Knowing what you can do and playing to your ability.”
Like she was in the previous three meetings, Grall was masterful in the circle for the Patriots. She spun a four-hitter with 14 strikeouts in an 8-1 victory over Merritt Island Christian in the Class 1A-Region 4 quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon at Patriots Field.
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It was the fourth time fourth-seeded Master’s Academy (18-7) defeated the fifth-seeded Cougars (12-7) this season: twice in the regular season and last week in the 1A-District 13 final.
It was the Patriots’ first regional win since 2018.
“Honestly, it takes the girls to be focused on the game of softball and not the opponent,” Patriots coach Stephen Boyer said. “It doesn’t matter who we face, you have to win all these games, no matter who it is, whether it’s Merritt Island, whether it’s Schoolhouse, whether it’s Westminster, whoever. To face them on back-to-back weeks, we just got the girls to focus on softball, not the fact we are playing Merritt Island.”
Grall dominant in the circle again
Grall faced Merritt Island Academy for the fourth time this season and came away with her fourth victory against the Cougars.
This time she allowed four hits, one unearned run in the seventh inning and a walk while striking out 14.
She used the knowledge of the previous three games to attack the Cougars.
“I didn’t change anything really, but playing the past three times definitely helped,” she said. “I knew their hitters better. I knew if they didn’t hit the rise balls as well or if they go for pitches outside. It helped a lot.”
Grall struck out the first five hitters she faced and seven of the first eight. The sophomore right-hander also ended the contest with a K.
On what was working for her Wednesday, Grall said, “my riseball outside definitely. I got quite a few girls on that. I got a few on changeups, which is my go-to pitch. I love my change up.”
In four games against Merritt Island Academy this season, Grall worked 25 innings, allowing 12 hits and six runs (2 earned) with four walks and 43 strikeouts.
“We went with our previous scouting reports, which is what we do in the past,” Boyer said. “It’s worked well for us.”
For the season, Grall has a 0.91 earned run average with 260 strikeouts in 146 innings.
“She’s dominant. She’s worked hard,” Boyer said of Grall. “She’s been with us a few years and she puts in the work to be where she is at hitting and pitching.”
Grall is a pretty good hitter, too
At times, Grall’s pitching can overshadow her hitting.
She carries a .427 batting average, third on the team and tops the Patriots with 10 doubles, 28 runs batted in and is tied for the team lead with 35 hits.
“Obviously she does so well in the circle, people forget how good of a hitter she is,” Boyer said.
Wednesday, Grall went 3-for-4, knocked in three runs with a hit in the third inning and two-run single in the sixth, batting out of the No. 3 spot.
“Yeah, sometimes I feel like I get in my head a little bit with two different perspectives of the game,” Grall said. “Sometimes I won’t be in the mental game hitting. Other days it could be back and forth.”
“She’s a quiet leader, but she leads with her hard work,” Boyer said of Grall. “We couldn’t be more proud of her. She is a little bit of the heartbeat of this team.”
She had plenty of help offensively.
Leadoff hitter Scarlet Grall, an eighth-grader and Aubrey’s sister, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. No. 9 hitter Kate Hawkins, another eighth-grader, had two hits, scored twice and knocked in another.
In all, eight of the Patriots in the starting lineup collected hits and six scored runs.
The familiarity with Merritt Island Christian also helped at the plate.
“Same at the plate in the batter’s box,” Boyer said. “Their pitcher (Sophia Robison) throws lots of strikes. We just want to make sure we put the meat part of the bat on the ball and use our speed. We’re a very fast team, so we want to make sure we put the ball in play and use our speed.”
Many of the Patriots stood up in the batter’s box, closer to the pitcher.
“It is, depending on where the pitcher likes to throw,” Boyer said. “Our batters learn that over the season, whether they can keep up with their velocity or if they are inside/outside pitchers, our batters have gotten pretty good about adjusting in the box.
“Today, we know she likes to work middle-out a lot. We want to make sure our batters are up on the plate. If we get an inside pitch, we want to fight that off, so we can be prepared for what she likes to throw, which is throwing the middle-outside part of the plate. She is outstanding at it. She’s great with her accuracy, so we want to make sure we can take it.”
It’s a family affair with the Gralls
Aubrey Grall is a sophomore pitcher. She throws to eighth-grade catcher Scarlett Grall, Left-handed fielding and hitting sixth-grader Summer Grall is at second base.
All are sisters.
Not only that, their parents Stephanie and Patrick are coaches for the Patriots.
“It’s incredible. I’m so blessed by God to have the opportunity to play with my family,” Aubrey Grall said. “I love them so much. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade anything for it.”
Boyer enjoys having both Grall parents in the dugout.
“They mean the world,” he said. “They bleed and live softball. They love the girls and they love the program. That means more than anything. They absolutely love everybody on the program. You wouldn’t know: it’s the five Gralls and the rest of the softball team. It really is just one family and we’re really proud of that.”
When Summer Grall fell behind 0-2 in the count during her second at-bat, Boyer said, “You’re a great two-strike hitter” from the third-base coaching box. On the next pitch Summer lined an opposite-field single to left.
Ironically, Merritt Island Christian had three sisters on the field: junior Sarah in left field, freshman Sophia on the mound and seventh-grader Abby in left field. Also Steve Robison is an assistant coach for the Cougars.
Finally breaking through in the regionals
Merritt Island Christian suffered more than half its losses this season to Master’s Academy.
The Patriots won 3-1 on Feb. 13 on the road with Grall pitching a 1-hitter and 14-4 in a game stopped after the fifth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule six days later at home.
In the district championship game, Master’s Academy posted an 11-0 whitewash on another 1-hitter in a game stopped after six innings because of the mercy rule.
That’s a combined 36-6 in the four games.
The Patriots have ruled the Cougars, winning 19 of 22 dating back to 2014.
But Merritt Island Academy eliminated Master’s Academy last season in the districts, preventing the Patriots from reaching the regionals.
Master’s Academy takes a four-game winning streak into the regional semifinals against the winner of top-seeded Miami Schoolhouse Prep and eighth-seeded Cutler Bay Mater Bay Academy on Tuesday.
The past five seasons, Master’s Academy is 76-39.
“I believe if we work real hard and don’t get in our heads and take it one pitch at a time and one game at a time, no matter who the opponent is, I believe we can go all the way,” Aubrey Grall said.
The Patriots had not won a regional game since 2018, defeating Trinity Christian Academy, 12-0, in the regional semifinals and Mount Dora Christian Academy, 5-1, in the regional final, before losing to Aucilla Christian, 4-0, in the state semifinals.
Master’s Academy fell to Trinity Christian in 2019, Glades Day in 2021, Florida Christian in 2022 and Oxbridge in 2023 in the first-round of the regional tournament.
So, Wednesday’s win was a big deal.
“We can go all the way,” Boyer said. “We’re just really focused on one pitch at a time. All we can do is what we can control: our attitude, our effort and what happens on the next pitch.
“That’s it.”
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Region Softball: Aubrey Grall tosses gem as Master’s Academy advances
Reporting by Dennis Maffezzoli, Special to Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
