After weeks of it lingering in the back of her mind, Izzy Palmisano waited with bated breath as the ball she struck flew toward center field. She finally exhaled when it dropped for the 100th hit of her Hopkins Academy softball career, the first Golden Hawk to hit that plateau.

It came in the third inning of a 19-1 win in five innings at Athol on Monday.

“It was pretty stressful but very relieving,” Palmisano said. “I didn’t think I was going to be safe. I thought it would be caught.”

She entered the game needing just one hit and delivered.

“We always knew she could do it. She got on varsity at a young age and got to play at a young age,” Hopkins Academy coach Paula Cristoforo said. “She took her chances. She's the kind of hitter that can pull an outside pitch where it needs to go, and she can deal with a inside pitch. She can handle it all.”

The Golden Hawks (13-2, 10-1 Franklin East) handled Athol. Taylor Barry collected a double and a triple among her five hits, while Cassidi Mushenski doubled with two singles. Laney Bailey singled three times.

Pitcher Cassie Dion struck out six and hit a home run and a double at the plate.

Hopkins Academy has won eight games in a row and sit atop the Franklin East standings with Franklin Tech.

“It’s nice that we’ve been winning so much,” Palmisano said. “It’s helped with the momentum of hitting.”

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