OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Fredonia Lady ‘Billies pitcher Maddy Marsh releases a pitch during a game earlier this season against Chautauqua Lake, in Fredonia. Sitting in first place in CCAA Division 1 West, Fredonia has six league games in six days scheduled for the coming week.

Sitting atop CCAA Division 1 West without a league loss to date, the Fredonia Lady ‘Billies softball team has its toughest week yet ahead this week. To come out of the week still on top of the league once it’s all said and done, Fredonia will have to go through the league’s best teams over the next six days. The journey toward that objective begins today.

Fredonia hosts Southwestern today, then heads to Mayville on Tuesday to play Chautauqua Lake. Weather permitting, the two top teams in the league finally commence their long-awaited rematch, after a controversial extra inning win by the Lady ‘Billies at Fredonia earlier this season on a play at the plate. Fredonia has the toughest schedule of the season to date this week, and with Chautauqua Lake only a game behind Fredonia in the standings in the loss column, there is no room for the Lady ‘Billies to slip up. That statement is even more apparent with six league games in six games this week.

Fredonia plays Southwestern today, then at Chautauqua Lake on Tuesday, at Cassadaga Valley on Wednesday, followed by rivalry games at Dunkirk Thursday, hosting Dunkirk Friday and finally concluding at Falconer on Saturday. Fredonia will begin the week with only four league games under its belt, and if Mother Nature cooperates, the Lady ‘Billies would have 10 of the 12 league games finished by the time Saturday’s game is finished.

There are two possible scenarios the Fredonia softball team has to avoid. The first is obvious, losing to Chautauqua Lake. The best Class C softball team in New York State a year ago knows what is at stake with Fredonia coming in to Mayville on Tuesday. After an incredible performance in the team’s last game by pitcher Olivia Anderson against Dunkirk in which she hit a home run and threw a shutout for a 1-0 victory, the Lady Thunderbirds are confident as ever to face the team they have had thrilling one-run games against in each of the last two meetings going back to last year’s division-clinching victory in Fredonia.

The other thing Fredonia needs to keep in mind this week is that there are five other league games in the week. Starting against Southwestern today and through Falconer on Saturday, Fredonia can’t avoid a slip up against any of the other teams in the league. Even if Fredonia were to beat Chautauqua Lake on Tuesday, the division lead could still switch hands by the end of the week.

Fredonia coach Jesse Beers has said before that league titles are nice, but sectional titles are better. This week will go a long way toward deciding the league champion in Division 1 West, and with a slate of games like Fredonia has coming into the week, the sectional playoffs may not seem so daunting after all.

Twitter: @bradencarmen