To say Hannah Gilbert has been unhittable in recent games isn’t really hyperbole. 

The Franklin Tech softball ace didn’t allow a hit over seven innings on April 25 against Northampton, with her no-hit bid broken up in the bottom of the eighth. The Eagles went on to win, as the senior threw an eight-inning shutout, allowing just the one hit while striking out 18. 

The stellar work in the circle carried into last week. Gilbert opened with a five-inning no-hitter against Athol on April 29, striking out 14 in a 19-0 victory. She followed with a no-hitter against Mohawk Trail two days later, recording 14 strikeouts in the Eagles’ 4-0 victory.

To cap off the week, Gilbert threw her third straight no-hitter, striking out 17 to lead Tech to a 7-0 victory over Pathfinder. 

To add things up, Gilbert struck out 63 batters, giving up just one hit without allowing a run over 27 innings in the circle leading into Wednesday’s game against Hopkins Academy. Brayleigh Burgh pitched against Mahar — an 18-0 win for the Eagles — but the game before that, Gilbert allowed two hits in a 5-0 shutout win over Blackstone Valley. 

That marked six games in a row the Eagles hadn’t allowed a run. They’ve reached the 10-win plateau, securing a spot in the MIAA Div. 5 state tournament. The Eagles are picking up steam at the right time, with Gilbert at the heart of it. Franklin Tech and the Eagles have a big week with Hopkins on Wednesday and Frontier on Thursday, hoping to build extra momentum going into the postseason. 

Frontier track takes control of Intercounty League

It often comes down to the Frontier and Mohawk Trail track teams to decide the Intercounty League title, and last week, the two power programs got together in South Deerfield with both girls teams boasting 3-0 records while the Redhawk boys were 3-0 and the Warrior boys sat 2-1 going into the meet. 

As it has each year since returning from the COVID-19 pause, Frontier proved to be too deep for the opposition. The Redhawk boys — who haven’t lost a meet since the return from COVID in 2021, pulled away with an 84-59 victory while the Frontier girls stayed unbeaten with a 90-55 victory. 

Garrett Dredge (triple jump, long jump), Ben Cachiguango (110 hurdles, 400 hurdles) and Adrien Pazmandy (pole vault, 400) won multiple events in the meet for the Frontier boys while Lilly Novak (shot put, discus) and Hannah Davis (long jump, 100 hurdles) took multiple events for the Redhawks girls. 

The Frontier girls are now in the driver’s seat for the Intercounty title while the Redhawk boys have a big meet against Greenfield, which is also unbeaten, on May 13. 

Athol-Franklin Tech game back on in Hartford

I can only imagine the disappointment the Athol and Franklin Tech players felt when rain was dumping down and their game at Dunkin’ Park in Hartford was canceled last month. 

Playing at a minor league stadium has to be scheduled well in advance. Not only are you finding days the Hartford Yard Goats aren’t using it, but you’re also competing with a number of high school teams throughout New England looking for the same opportunity.

The Bears and Eagles never gave up hope of getting the game in, and they were able to make it happen. The game has been rescheduled for Friday, May 23 at 5 p.m. in Hartford. 

The showdown will take place in the midst of the Western Mass. tournament, though it will still count as a regular season game. Athol and Franklin Tech were both 4-0 in the Bi-County North as of Wednesday, and the teams are scheduled to play their first of two regular season contests against each other set for Sunday. If both can win their other league games, the league title will be decided at Dunkin’ Park, leading to even more intrigue. 

Pioneer baseball still unbeaten

When I wrote last week about the Pioneer baseball team sitting at No. 2 in the Div. 5 power rankings with an unbeaten record, I mentioned that those on the baseball team and the basketball team haven’t experienced a loss in over 35 contests. 

I neglected to add in the Panther boys soccer team, which went an impressive 17-2-2 and captured a Western Mass. Class D title along the way. Five players — Alex McClelland, Hayden Girard, Jackson Glazier, Judah Glenn and Hayden Killeen — have competed on the Pioneer soccer, basketball and baseball teams, and heading into Wednesday, have accumulated an astonishing 55-2-2 record this year. 

That includes a pair of Western Mass. titles and a Div. 5 state title on the hardwood.