That was no different this past season for the Hillbillies softball team. Cybart finished the season with a 14-1 overall record, including a perfect 11-0 in the uber-competitive Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association’s Division 1 West.

In 104 innings, Cybart struck out 107 batters. Her earned run average was a sparkling 0.61. The right-hander wasn’t the hardest throwing pitcher in the area, but she could locate and change speeds. Cybart allowed just 58 hits and nine walks — less than five baserunners per game.

“It’s been great. She just has a feel for pitching,” Fredonia coach Joe Pucciarelli said late last week about Cybart being his ace for the past two seasons. “She doesn’t overpower you. Everybody is in love with high heat, but she is mid-thigh and down. You cannot square the ball up on her.”

Against the area’s finest competition, Cybart was unbeatable.

Hannah Cybart P-J file photo

In April, Fredonia beat Maple Grove, 11-0, in its season opener as Cybart threw five innings of one-hit ball before another win over the Red Dragons, 6-2, three weeks later behind a complete-game five-hitter with eight strikeouts from Cybart. The Red Dragons would go on to lose the Section VI Class C2 title game to Portville.

On May 3, Cybart and the Hillbillies beat Southwestern and senior ace Sydney Burk, 5-0, on a two-hitter with six strikeouts. Six days later, Cybart threw another two-hitter with six strikeouts as the Hillbillies beat the Trojans, 6-2. Southwestern would eventually lose in the Section VI Class B2 quarterfinals to the same Medina squad that ultimately won the championship after knocking off Fredonia a round later.

The Hillbillies also posted a pair of impressive wins against Chautauqua Lake and its ace Olivia Anderson. On May 8, Cybart threw a complete-game four-hitter with 10 strikeouts as Fredonia won, 7-1. Five days later, Cybart threw a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts as the Hillbillies clinched the league title with a 4-0 shutout win. The Thunderbirds later went on to a Section VI Class C1 crown.

Cybart was named the league’s Pitcher of the Year in each of the past two seasons — a league that includes Burk and Anderson. Her career record was a sparkling 42-3, including 25-0 in league play.

“I don’t know how many last-second shots or big shots she hit, but she wants the ball,” Pucciarelli said. “She wants to be the one to be responsible for the game. She wants the ball in her hands.”

Offensively, Cybart hit .300 out of the Fredonia leadoff spot, picking up six doubles and a home run while driving in nine and scoring 18 runs. She struck out just three times in 16 games.

Looking forward to next season, Cybart may be the one player more difficult to replace than anybody in local softball. For her dominance in Division 1 West and shining numbers in the circle, Cybart is this season’s Post-Journal Softball Player of the Year.

“How do you replace 25-0? It’s going to be very hard to replace her,” Pucciarelli said. “Kids rise to the occasion. We’ve got some players coming up, but whoever steps into those shoes will have big shoes to fill.”