Jordan Lucas and Jaelyn Davis homered as the Hillbillies pounded out 11 hits en route to a 13-1 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 West softball victory over Olean on Thursday evening.

“We kind of flipped the script a little bit today. I thought we did the job offensively,” Fredonia head coach Jesse Beers said. “We’ve been relying, pretty much, on Jordan and squeaking out some tough games.”

Lucas finished 3 for 4 and Davis was 2 for 3, while Rihanna Benner went 2 for 4 with three RBIs out of the No. 9 hole in the Fredonia batting order.

“We’ve really been working on trying to pull our offense together,” Beers said. “It wasn’t so much physical, it was mental … understanding how we can grind out at-bats, working counts … understanding how we put pressure on their defense when we put balls in play.”

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Fredonia’s Jordan Lucas is congratulated by head coach Jesse Beers after hitting a home run during Thursday’s CCAA D1 West game against Olean.

Lucas threw a five-hitter with six strikeouts and two walks, relying on her defense most of the evening. Hillbillies right fielder Danielle Palisin had four putouts and also started a 9-1-3 double play for the first two outs of the sixth inning.

“That’s why she’s there. She’s such a versatile kid. She can play there, she can play first, she can throw,” Beers said of Palisin in the outfield. ” … She made a couple of really nice plays. The first ball of the game was rocketed at her. The double play at the end really kind of sealed the deal for us.”

Fredonia (14-0, 10-0) led 2-1 after two innings of play. Naomi Muck led off the game with a single to center field, was sacrificed to second by Palisin and went to third on a groundout by Lucas before Davis hit an RBI single to left field. The Hillbillies took a 2-0 lead in the second on a Benner single to center field that scored Ellie VanDette.

“That put us up 2-0 … we thought we were going to be scratching for runs all game long,” Beers said. ” … As it turned out, we didn’t have to.”

After the Huskies (8-6, 7-3) made it 2-1, Davis came through with a one-out home run to left field that scored courtesy-runner Sophia Gullo in the top of the third inning.

OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman Fredonia first baseman Ellie VanDette fields a groundball.

“(Jaelyn) really turned the corner in Binghamton. She had a few big hits in that first game we played out there. … Since then, she’s been such a confident hitter,” Beers said of Davis. ” … She’s got all of the tools. When she’s confident, look out.”

The score remained 4-1 until the Hillbillies’ six-run fifth inning. Palisin led off the frame with a single through the left side of the infield before Lucas’ home run to center field.

“She’s starting to get more comfortable at the plate,” Beers said of Lucas. “For a couple of games, she was getting a little antsy. Now she’s a little more relaxed, letting the ball come to her, and getting good results.”

Fredonia added four more runs in the inning, capped by two-run singles from both Benner and Muck.

“We only struck out three times today against a very good pitcher,” Beers said of the Huskies’ Emma Edwards. “She struck 12 of us out last time.”

Lucas only had two 1-2-3 innings in the game, but allowed just one Olean runner to reach third base over the final four innings.

The victory gave the Hillbillies at least a share of the league title. They can clinch the championship outright with a win over Dunkirk on Saturday or Southwestern on Tuesday in their final two Division 1 West games.

“At this point, we’re also looking at seeding. The B1s this year are going to be tough. If we can be at home as much as we can, that’d be great,” Beers said. “We have two more league games left. We’re not taking anything for granted. We have to go out and play well.”

NOTES: Lucas singled and courtesy-runner Mikaylee Baliya scored on a wild pitch, Jenna Fryberger reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on an error, and Callie Draggett walked and scored on a Cassie Cramer groundout in the sixth for the Hillbillies.