Bert Fest offers students many opportunities to relax and have fun.

The Hilbert Hawks Women’s Basketball team traveled to the 4th seeded Penn State Altoona Lions for the first round of the AMCC playoffs and came up with an upset by a score of 54-40.  

The Hawks dominated the game from the tip, scoring within the first 16 seconds of the game. They led by as much as 19 points in the 3rd quarter and Mackenzie Catan threw in seven  three-point shots and finished with a game high 21 points.  

Other key contributors were Ashley Schroeder with 13 points and 5 assists, Chloe Champagne added another 5 assists, Alesia Hamm contributed 10 points and Monika Allen finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds in just 11 minutes.  

The total team defensive effort allowed the Hawks to grow and maintain the lead throughout the entirety of the game. “Although our offense was great our defense won us the game” says Champagne. 

The Hawks led in nearly every statistical category, they shot a better percentage from field goal and beyond the arc. They also out rebounded the Lions by 12 and gathered 5 steals which led to more 2^nd chance and fastbreak points. “We applied pressure the whole game… they were crying” Champagne adds. 

Music and laughter filled the air on Monday after Hilbert College hosted a musical concert performed by artist Phillip Jackson, also known as Eems. The concert took place in the 78 West Café.

In an interview, Eems explains that he is from Kansas City, Missouri, and has been playing music his whole life. He started off playing the drums and worked his way to the piano, then later started open mic. He has always written music and fell in love with the idea of performing. His mom was a choir director for the church, so music has always been a way to get together and show love. “I love performing in front of people, being on stage”, he says. Now, Eems travels on tour to different colleges to perform songs and bring people together with the art of music.

Hilbert was the second to last school for the tour and aside from good snacks and beverages, students were given the opportunity to come on stage and perform with musical artist, Eems. Alexis Kelson was one student in particular who stood out. After pushing herself out of her comfort zone, Alexis performed a freestyle on stage with Eems. This concert helped improve the confidence of many students by allowing them to perform and be a part of such a unique experience. Many college students are not given the opportunity to relax and have fun during a busy time of the semester, so it’s heartwarming to see people come together and enjoy music.  

Hilbert Involvement ran this event and was very happy with how this event turned out. Alex Gill, head of student involvement says that this was a time for students to relax. Life can get hectic, so this concert gave students the opportunity to escape everyday life and enjoy the comfort that music brings to life.

“This crowd was perfect. Hilbert Involvement knows how to throw a show! Thanks for having me and I can’t wait to see you all again soon”, writes Eems in a recent Instagram post.

Hilbert’s Men’s Basketball team fell short in their First-Round playoff game, battling it out with Pitt Bradford until the final minutes of the game, losing 80-79.

This game was the third time of the year that the two teams have collided. Every game that the two teams have played against each other has come down to one point differential.

Hilbert has a young, promising roster to build with, while also having lots of offseason time to recruit.

Senior Elijah Powell is a great role model for Hilbert’s team and many players look up to him.

“This team was more of a family than any other team and played hard for each other every night,” Powell said. “I’m very close with these guys, they’re my brothers.”

The team was led by many key players throughout the season. Quran Briggs is a great basketball player leading the team. Briggs led the team in scoring this season averaging 31.0 points per game, while shooting 48% from the field.

“It was a good season,” Briggs said. “It wasn’t the finish we wanted. It was fun playing with this group of new guys.”

Briggs was happy with how his team performed.

“It feels great. It’s an honor,” Briggs said. “I feel like they look up to me and they ask how I do what I do, and I’ve never had it happen to me it was great.”

The Hawks concluded the season, finishing 12-13 overall. This record doesn’t define the Hawks, Only 3 seniors will not be back next season and the future is promising.

Hawks softball traveled to Greensburg Pennsylvania today to  take on their first AMCC double header of the season. In the first game of the double header Greensburg took an early lead and never looked back. The second game of the day was much closer and very back and forth.

Game One: Hilbert 0 – Pitt Greensburg 9

Game Two: Hilbert 6 – Pitt Greensburg 7

Game One:

•  The Hawks started off the game at bat and did not register a hit while Greensburg managed to score two runs on hits and one error by Hilbert. Brittany McAndrews started the game as pitcher for the Hawks.
• Victoria Hanley earned the first hit of the game for the Hawks in the second inning but they were unable to score. While Greensburg had a strong inning in the batters box scoring four runs. 
• In the top of the third inning Tayler Avery singled to left field but again it would come to nothing. Greensburg continued to pile on the offense though, making the game 9-0.
• In the final two innings both teams combined for only three hits and no one else managed to score to effectively end the game after the fifth inning.

Game Two:

•  The Hawks started off this game with Victoria Hanley reaching base on an error but could not turn it into a run while Greensburg kept their hot bats going scoring three runs with Bailey Budziszewski in at pitcher.
• The second inning was slow with neither team earning a hit. The Hawks would begin their trek to making a comeback in the third inning though scoring their first run of the day with Emma Gionta hitting a double to bring in Makenna Smith. 
• The fourth inning was slow with neither team earning a hit. The Hawks began to heat up though in the fifth with Makenna Smith hitting a triple and then eventually scoring off of an error. Later that inning Bailey Budziszewski would reach first on an error and get two RBI’s bringing in Victoria Hanley and Emma Gionta. 
• The Hawks continued to grow their lead in the sixth inning with Victoria Lakeman hitting a single to left field and earning an RBI on a Chloe Champagne run. Greensburg though would score three more times this inning to retake the lead 6-5.
• In the seventh and final inning Victoria Hanley would hit a fly ball and eventually bring in Makenna Smith to tie up the game. Unfortunately for the Hawks though Greensburg would score and end the game 7-6.

Up Next

The Hawks next game will be a double header at Geneva College on April 4th. The games will be played at 3:30 and 5:30 PM.

Editor’s Note: This story was shared with The Scribe by the Hilbert Athletics Department.

Hilbert College dropped an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference baseball double header this afternoon to Pitt-Greensburg.  

The Hawks slipped in the first game, 14-7,  and rallied late in the night cap but fell short in the 8-5 final on the John P. Bobo Field at Niagara University.

Game 1:

• Greensburg plated two runners early in the game and carried a 2-0 lead through the next two innings.  The Bobcats manufactured seven runs off four hits and two errors as they built a 9-run lead by the bottom of the 4th.
• After giving up three more runs in the top of the 5th, Hilbert recorded six runs, three in the 5th and three more in the 6th.  Alex Ellison scored an unearned run just before Thomas Evans knocked in the other two runs off his triple in the 5th.  Then with bases load in the 6th, Ellison, Frank McCabe and Jairo Santos earned the 3RBIs which inched Hilbert closer.
• The Bobcats tacked on two more runs in the 7th before Jack Duffek’sRBI in teh 7th set the final score.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Seven different Hawks scored.  Thomas Evans and John Watson each earned two hits with Thomas knocking in two runs.
• Brennen Hediger (3-2) allowed seven hits, three earned runs, and struck out one with three walks 4.1 innings. 

Game 2:

• The Bobcats opened  with a three-run lead after hitting the game’s first homer in the top of the 1st.   They held a 4-run lead by the time Hilbert got on the score board in the bottom of the 4th when Patrick Whelan homered to the right field fence.  Evans followed with ground rule double and sprinted home off Griffin McAndrew’s at bat.
• Greensburg tacked one more run in the 5th yet Hilbert knotted the game at 5-5 by the top of the 6th.  John Watson’s 2RBI triple started the run and Patrick Whelan’s long sac fly to center plated Watson.
• After a scoreless 6th inning, Greensburg manufactured three additional runs to pull away with the 8-5 win.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Thomas Evans scored one run, earned a ground-rule double and went 3-for-4.  
• Patrick Whelan now has four home runs this season and sits one behind Evans in season and career-totals

UP NEXT

Hilbert (12-10, 1-3 AMCC) is scheduled to host Keuka College this coming Tuesday, April 4th in the FSSJ Field beginning at 1:00 pm.

Editor’s Note: This story was shared with The Scribe by the Hilbert Athletics Department.

The Hilbert Baseball team went 1-1 against SUNY Poly in a non-conference doubleheader series off campus.

The Hawks gave up eight runs in the 3rd inning of the early game (17-6)  before getting into a pitcher’s duel in the night cap.  Patrick Whelan recorded the walkoff hit in the bottom of the 7th giving the Hawks the 4-3 win at the NY Stingers Baseball Field.

Thomas Evans hit a three-run homerun in the opening game and now leads the Hawks with five on the season.  Patrick Whelan notched his third of the season in game 2 before earning his first walk-off hit of the season.

Evans needs just two more homeruns this season to establish a new single season record while he moved to 5th place in the Hilbert career record book.  Whelan is chasing Evans as he moved to No. 6 in both career and single season rankings.

Game 1:

• The Wildcats scored a pair off two doubles in the top of the 1st while Hilbert responded with two tallies in the bottom half.  Patrick Whelan’s double plated Jairo Santos and Jack Duffek’s at bat pushed home Thomas Evans.
• Poly tacked on nine runs over the next two innings which built an 11-3 margin.  Evan’s, who started from second off a double, scored the third Hilbert run in the bottom of the third.
• Ronald Mort held the Wildcats in check in the fourth which gave Hilbert a fighting chance for a rally. With two outs, Alex Ellison and Santos earned a spot on base and Evans then homered to centerfield slicing the margin (11-6).
• SUNY Poly closed the final three innings with five hits adding six more runs to their total while limiting Hilbert to no hits.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Thomas Evans scored three runs and finished with 3RBI off three hits.  Patrick Whelan (D) and Jairo Santos each added two hits with Santos scoring twice.

Zackory Panfil (1-2) took the loss after giving up seven hits, with seven runs.  Ronald Mort (2.1 IP) struck out two with six hits and Matthew Whelan tossed the final two innings striking out two with one walk.

Game 2:

• Hilbert held on 1-0 lead through three innings before the Wildcats knotted the game in the top of the 4th.
• Evans walked to first, stole second and Jack Duffek’s single gave the Hawks the early lead.
• Hilbert turned a double play to get out of the second inning and Josh McTigue stayed tough in the third keeping the guests off the scoreboard.
• SUNY Poly earned an RBI single in the fourth and held the Hawks hit-less to set the 1-1 score.
• After a Wildcat poked a double, he was thrown out at home on the next at bat as the Hawks persevered on defense with a thrown down from Alex Ellison to Griffin McAndrews.
• Patrick Whelan matched Evans with a long ball over centerfield and lifted the Hawks in the bottom of the 5th.
• Griffin McAndrews doubled, then advanced on a wild pitch and was knocked in by Ben Chowaniec’s single to in the 6th.
• The Wildcats roared back to knot the game at 3-all in the top of the 7th before the Patrick Whelan’s long single to center field allowed Santos to sprint home for the win.

BY THE NUMBERS:

Patrick Whelan earned the walk-off winning hit, after going 3-for-3 with a home run and 2RBIs and Jack Duffek earned two hits with 1RBI.

Josh McTigue earned his second win of the season after limiting the Wildcats to two hits, no runs and one strike out through three innings.

Up Next:

Hilbert (12-9) have already announced their next game against Pitt-Greensburg will be played Sunday, April 2 at John P. Bobo Field on the campus of Niagara University.  The AMCC doubleheader will begin at 11:00 am.

Editor’s Note: This story was shared with THE SCRIBE by the Hilbert Athletics Department.

The men’s lacrosse team led a bottle and can drive at the end of last month that raised a large sum of money for the Can Bottle Return. 

The team was the driving force in planning and making sure the bottle drive was in motion. Many of the players that were there helped throughout the entire process, creating the idea, planning the bottle drive and the execution of the drive. 

Kevin Doyle, a sophomore defenseman, said bottle drive was simple yet beneficial to all.

“We were in need for, just like funds,” Doyle said.  “That is really all it was. We were looking for something that we could put together that would not be too much work, but something that involved the community.”

With the hard work from everyone involved, the bottle drive became a reality.  

Digital posters were spread to all of the televisions around each of the dorms, administrative buildings and classroom buildings.  Many people outside of the college had found out through digital posters on social media platforms.  The day of came and cans and bottles rolled in.  Each of the lacrosse players gathered behind the Hafner Recreation Center. 

The lacrosse team had come up with the idea for making sure they were all set on funds for equipment, uniforms, transportation and, so much more.

With many organizations around Hamburg, the can bottle return was a very reliable place to work with.  “It is actually the can bottle return right down the road on Clark Street,” Mason Shehadi, a sophomore defenseman, said. 

The team offered Sabres tickets as a prize to the person who donated the most cans.

“Yeah, so we realized that people, a lot of times, don’t really do anything unless there an incentive for that,” Shehadi said. “So, we figured if we are going to help the community by taking their stuff, we may as well help them by giving them something.”

The Sabers tickets seemed to be a really good idea to gain the attention of donors. 

“So, right now the Sabers tickets are not purchased but, that is because we are going to choose the winner and see what works best for them.  So we are going to see what game they can go too and then we will get the tickets from there” Shahadi said.  

The team aspired to collect the most number of recyclables in the time frame they were given.    Both Conner Salamida, a sophomore defenseman, and Doyle said. 

“As many (bottles and cans) as we could.  We just wanted to get as much money as we can for our team,” Salamida said.

Doyle said the team had high aspirations for the amount they might raise.  

“Right now, I think with what we have, we’re probably going to be close to a couple grand,” he said. “I would say maybe.”

The Scribe reached out to the players to ask the total amount raised, but did not receive an answer.

Throughout the interview, the team had low confidence in themselves to gain that many bottles and cans. 

“Yeah, I’d say that expectations for the actual bottle drive weren’t really that high,” Ryan Fitch, a junior defenseman, said. We did a lot of the going out and asking for bottles and cans on our own and in groups.  We did not really advertise today as much as we should have so, you live and you learn.  Next time, we will advertise a little harder.”

Shahadi said the team only had a little time slot to collect as much as possible.

“And with it being a first – year event, it’s still crazy to think that about the amount of cans that we did collect, he said.  “We did get a lot of cans for the limited amount of time putting it out in the community.”

Shahadi said planning for the bottle drive was a process. 

“It was kind of trial and error really,: he said. “ Just seeing what really worked, what doesn’t.  And then we kind of just narrowed it down to the bottle drive.  We talked with a bunch of places out here that could do six cents per bottle so, this is one of them that are doing six cents per bottle.  We have another one at home doing six cents per bottle in Rochester.  Just talking to a lot of people and spread the word.  Talk to families, friends and, build up our arsenal of bottles.”

Shahadi said he was the driving force that was the brains behind the operation, the one who came up with the idea and his teammates followed along with the idea.   

 “The advertising process was like, well we started with flyers and started local,” Shahadi said. “So, I made flyers.  I do a lot of graphic design so, I spent a couple hours on a flyer.”

Shahadi said most of the team’s success in spreading the word about the drive came on social media platforms.  “It did not really get passed around in person,” he said. “It got passed around virtually through Instagram, Facebook, we kind of spread the word there.  Next time I would probably post out actual paper copies around school.  If we go door to door again, we could probably hand them out, just so they have a tangible thing to look at and see what they were doing instead of trying to remember what I said when I first knocked on the door.”

 The Hilbert College softball team resumed their season today after a long break following their spring break trip to Myrtle Beach. Today they traveled to take on Elmira College in a double header. The Hawks struggled in the first game of the day but got their feet under themselves and improved in the second game.

Game One: Hilbert 0 – Elmira 8

Game Two: Hilbert 3 – Elmira 14

Game One:

•  Hilbert struggled in the first inning and was unable to get any runners on base. On the other hand though Elmira started strong earning 2 runs with Brittany McAndrews starting at pitcher for the Hawks. 
• Both Elmira and Hilbert were held scoreless in the second and third innings. The Hawks did not register a hit in either of these innings as well but both Brionna Raiser-Russell and Chloe Champagne got on base. 
• In the fourth inning Mackenzie Catan earned the first and only hit of the game for the Hawks with a single to center field. Again though with Brittany McAndrews pitching the Hawks also held Elmira to no hits. 
• The fifth and final inning of the game though was where Elmira turned up the heat and finished the game. They managed to score 6 runs and eventually finish the game.

Game Two:

•  The Hawks started off the game hitting with Makenna Smith reaching first base on an error but this would lead to nothing and they would be held scoreless. Bailey Budziszewski started the game at pitcher for the second game of the day. The same went for Elmira as they earned one hit but could not score.
• The Hawks started getting stronger in the batter’s box as the game continued on. They earned two hits in the second inning by Leandra Cruz and Bailey Budziszewski. They were still unable to score though and Elmira took advantage of that, scoring four runs.
• The Hawks answered the bell though in the third inning scoring three of their own to make it a one run game. Chloe Champagne was the leadoff batter and earned a walk and eventually stole second where Makenna Smith would earn an RBI with a single to right field. Makenna Smith would then steal both second and third and eventually scored on an error by the catcher. For the third run Mackenzie Catan singled to center field and was eventually brought home by Julia Stutz who hit a double to right center field. 
• Even though the Hawks now managed to get on the scoreboard they continued to struggle defensively. After allowing four runs with only one out in the inning the Hawks made a change at pitcher and brought in Brionna Raiser-Russell. Elmira was able to tally only one more run in this inning to make it 9-3 at the top of the fourth.
• After strong offensive play by both teams, the defenses prevailed in the fourth and both teams were held scoreless. In the fifth inning though the Hawks could not manage to score while Elmira earned five runs including a grand slam to end the game.

Up Next

The Hawks next double header is on April 1st when they travel to the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg for their first AMCC games of the season. They will be played at 1 and 3 PM.

Editor’s Note: This story was shared with The Scribe by the Hilbert Athletics Department.

“The back-and-forth battle is what made it euphoric to be apart of and shows the resiliency our team has within us.”

These are the words of Thomas Evans, a captain on the Hilbert baseball team, referring to the Hawks opening series of the much-anticipated 2023 season.

The Hilbert Hawks travelled to Pittsburgh, PA over the weekend, participating in a pair of games against Chatham University. The Hawks fell short in both contests, losing 5-4 and 10-9, respectively.

Off the back of these nail-biting losses, Head Coach Drew Fittry believes his team learned a lot, he said.

“We know what we need to work on moving forward to prepare for a competitive AMCC schedule, but the biggest takeaway for me was our compete level,” he said. “Every time Chatham took it to us, we responded.”

This was surely the case, as the Hawks and Cougars engaged in 12 innings of competitive and gripping baseball.

In the first game, the Hawks came out of the gate strong. Evans led the game off with a towering home run to center field. Shortly thereafter, fellow captain Patrick Whelan sent a ball into left field, making his way to third base for a triple. Designated hitter Jack Duffek followed, hitting a sacrifice fly that scored Whelan.

Starting pitcher Mike Contini held down the fort. He tossed 4.2 innings, letting in 2 runs. Brendan Walsh came to Contini’s relief, throwing 2.1 innings and sending the Hawks into an enthralling extra-innings competition. Blaine Morgan tossed the final 4.1 innings of the game.

Despite their explosive first inning, Hilbert’s offense hit a lull. They mustered 4 runs in 12 innings of play. The Hawks ultimately succumbed to the Cougars in the 12^th inning, losing on a walk-off single. The fate of the game was determined at home plate, where a bang-bang play resulted in the runner being called safe.

The Hawks began their second game shortly thereafter, however, this time they were illuminated under the glow of lights.

John Riviere Vejas, the Hawks second baseman, led the game off with a triple into left center. Evans followed suit, smoking a ball into the same gap. Pat Whelan ushered Evans home with a sacrifice to left field.

In the innings that followed, sophomore Derek Martinez sprinkled in two doubles.

Starting pitcher Drew Cole threw a brilliant 4.1 innings, fanning 7 batters.

In the 6^th inning, Evans launched a ball into the night, a no-doubter that fell far beyond the confines of the park.

However, the Hawks fell once again, with the Cougars pulling away with another 1 run victory.

When asked about the Hawks performance at the plate, Assistant Coach Tony Ballistrea expressed optimism at the offenses’ ability to start off the game hot. However, Ballistrea expressed concerns about the offense’s waning efforts in the later innings of the game.

 “We did our job offensively to start off each inning in the doubleheader,” Ballistrea said. “Unfortunately, our lack of momentum during the game kept our offense as a whole contained.”

Evans, who is known amongst his teammates as Red, remains confident and buoyant in his team.

“Although the win column doesn’t show it, seeing is half of it,” he said. “Seeing is believing, feeling is knowing and this team is powerful.”

Evans sentiment was also shared amongst fellow captain Pat Whelan, who states that the team’s performance was “Encouraging, especially from such a young, inexperienced group. The future is bright.”