Things didn’t start so great for Fuquay-Varina’s softball team. With a 2-3 record and losers of three 2-1 scores, Deb Clarke’s young team needed something or someone to anchor to if it was going to ride out the rough waters that come with starting four freshman.

It was soon thereafter that senior pitcher Alex Ryan established herself as the fulcrum for the most successful Fuquay softball team in its school history, and that’s why she is our Female Athlete of the Year.

Ryan pitched every pitch of every inning of every game for the Lady Bengals, which posted a 21-6 record, finished third in the state and won the East Regional championship.

Despite not having a fastball, she struck out 281 batters this year, an average of 10.4 batters per game. She stepped up when games mattered the most, pitching a 1-0 shutout against Apex to advance to the program's second final four and lasting all 10 innings in a playoff win over Garner.

Clarke called Ryan “obviously the best pitcher in the East,” and it’s a claim that’s hard to argue with after tossing 13 shutouts, including a 1-0 win over New Bern in ten innings for the East Regional championship.

Ryan also batted second in the lineup, making her a rarity among starting pitchers. Most don’t bat at all, much less that high in the order. Replacing her next year will be a nearly impossible task after carrying the Bengals to unprecedented milestones.

“I look into next year and I’m thinking ‘Lord, somebody transfer in,’” Clarke said. “We don’t look to replace [Ryan], we just look for someone who can get it in there and let our defense and our bats go to work.”

Ryan was the quintessential emotional senior leader for her team, often leading the team huddles and never missing on a chance to pump up everyone else.

Ryan will be pitching next year at Brevard Community College in Florida, with hopes of transferring to a Division I team in a year or two.