ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
By: Rudy Brandl
Chrissy Yard and Candy Palumbo combine to bring all the necessary ingredients to the softball field for Hillsborough High. That was never more evident than in last week’s big 1-0 victory at Immaculata in a game the Raiders needed to stay unbeaten and alone atop the Delaware East Division standings.
Yard, a senior pitcher, fired a three-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts to continue her recent string of masterful performances in the circle. Palumbo, a senior shortstop, produced the game’s only run on the team’s only hit, a monster home run leading off the fourth.
Palumbo and Yard, a pair of four-year varsity softball standouts, are the Hillsborough Beacon Athletes of the Week.
It’s no coincidence that Hillsborough has appeared in the last three Somerset County Tournament championship games, winning back-to-back titles the past two years. Yard and Palumbo have been mainstays in the program during that consistent streak of county dominance.
This year, both players want it all. They’re attempting not only to lead the Raiders to the coveted county three-peat, but also the school’s first Delaware Division and Central Jersey Group 4 softball titles.
Palumbo leads the Raiders with an impressive .511 batting average. Nine of her team-high 24 hits have come for extra bases, including three home runs. The rocket-armed shortstop also boasted a perfect fielding percentage in April.
While she’s made many exciting plays in the field and on the base paths, Palumbo’s biggest shot in April came at Immaculata. Having lined out hard in her first at-bat, Palumbo went to the plate aggressively the next time.
"I just swung at the first pitch," Palumbo said. "It wasn’t really a good strike, but it was high and I hit it. I guess the wind took it."
Yard has good numbers with a .333 average, two doubles and two homers but her pitching stats are eye-popping. She’s allowed only eight earned runs and 48 hits in 95 innings with a 153-13 ratio of strikeouts-to-walks. The lefty has seven shutouts and her ERA is a microscopic 0.59.
Now the full-time pitcher for the first time in her varsity career, Yard is on a roll. After splitting time with other talented arms during the past three seasons, Yard has gotten the ball to start the team’s first 14 games. She’s really found her groove.
"I just go out there and pitch," Yard said modestly. "The arm is definitely getting stronger. Pitching more games is definitely going to help me."
With Yard and Palumbo leading the way, the Raiders should have quite an exciting May.