Fredonia senior pitcher Jordan Lucas was pretty much unstoppable this year.
In fact, the only team that found any answers against the St. Bonaventure-bound Lucas ended up winning the Class B state championship.
In her final season from the circle, Lucas led the ‘Billies to their third straight Section VI title and Fredonia reached as high as the No. 2 spot in the New York State Sportswriters Association’s Class B rankings.
The road to Fredonia’s third straight Class B title was not just good, but it was dominant. Lucas surrendered just one hit en route to the Class B1 title and the crossover championship for a spot in the Far West Regional.
In the B1 quarterfinals, Lucas tossed her third career perfect game with a whopping 18 strikeouts as Fredonia shut out Southwestern 3-0. Then, in the semifinals, Lucas gave up her only hit of the Section VI playoffs on a bunt single, but she still managed another 18 strikeouts and drove in the game-winning run for Fredonia in a 3-0 victory over East Aurora. Capturing the Class B1 title, Fredonia avenged its 2022 loss to Depew in another no-hit performance by Lucas as she struck out 12 batters in the 2-0 win.
Fredonia senior Jordan Lucas is the 2024 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Softball Player of the Year.
OBSERVER File Photo by Ashleigh Brown
Then, in the crossover, Lucas received plenty of run support as she tossed her third no-hitter of the postseason in just five innings and struck out 11 batters as Fredonia defeated Wilson 12-0 to reach the Far West Regional for the first time since 2009.
After being able to lead Fredonia to 21 victories, including big wins in Binghamton at the 44th annual James “Ace” Morabito Invitational Tournament, Lucas was only stymied by a state-champion squad in Wellsville at the Far West Regional.
Against Wellsville, Lucas gave up just three earned runs on four walks and six hits while striking out 11 batters to wrap up one of the finest careers in Fredonia softball program history.
“I think that’s appropriate because of the career she’s had,” Beers said about Lucas finishing her career with a strikeout in the Far West Regional.
“We’ve been talking about year-end awards and things at our school and in one application I filled out I said she’s the best softball player to ever come out of Fredonia. Clearly the best pitcher to ever come out of Fredonia, but honestly I think the best overall player that’s ever donned the Orange and Black for us. I just got done hugging her and I told her thank you, and she’s got a lot of good softball ahead of her at St. Bonaventure.”
When Wellsville scored in the first inning en route to a 5-0 victory, it ended a streak of 45 scoreless innings pitched by Lucas. That streak began in the regular season in which Fredonia posted a perfect record and claimed another Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 West title.
In the league, Lucas pitched 57 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out 120 batters and giving only nine hits while posting a 0.14 earned run average as she earned Pitcher of the Year honors. When she faced opposing pitchers in the league, she posted a .353 average with four doubles and a home run.
Including the overall pitching stats, her numbers became more mind-boggling as she tossed a total of 120 innings and allowed just seven earned runs this season on 30 hits, 36 walks and six hit batters while striking out a whopping 248. Then, from the batter’s box, she hit .333 with five doubles and two home runs.
Along with being the top pitcher in her league, Lucas earned all-state honors as she was named to the Class B First Team by the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports.
Before Lucas pitches at the NCAA Division I level at St. Bonaventure she will have another award to add as the 2024 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Player of the Year.