Football, soccer, field hockey, cross country and golf dominate the scholastic sports scene each autumn.

With a smaller window to enjoy their sport than almost every other state in the union, baseball players in Maine don’t let these warm September weekends go to waste.

Central Maine Community College fall baseball thrives with a large delegation of tri-county contributors. The Mustangs recently celebrated a run of four wins in six games during a busy nine-day span to start the season

Joe Douglass of Poland and Alex Hall of Lisbon highlighted that stretch by combining for the third no-hitter in school history as CMCC rolled past the University of Maine at Fort Kent, 16-1.

Douglass didn’t slack off with the bat, either. He belted a home run and a triple and also stole two bases in the victory.

Justin Staires of Mexico (Mountain Valley) cranked three home runs in a doubleheader split with Vermont Tech.

Staires, a sophomore and former three-sport star in high school, also pitched CM to a 2-1 victory over rival New Hampshire Technical Institute. He surrendered only three hits in the complete-game showing.

Dirigo High School graduate Ryan Lafleur picked up the win in his first college pitching start against Vermont Tech. Lafleur struck out nine. He later combined with Frank Angelico of Lisbon for a brilliant performance in a hard-luck, 11-inning loss to NHTI. Angelico and Lafleur allowed only three hits.

Josh Leino of Lewiston logged an early-season win on the mound for the Mustangs. Nigel Cromwell of South Paris (Oxford Hills) has contributed a home run. Mt. Abram grad Dylan Tisor is the starting catcher.

Poland product Ben Piper of Minot and Mountain Valley alum Connor Blais both have been in the Mustangs’ mix.

CMCC hosts Sunday doubleheaders against NHTI today and the University of New Hampshire club team next week while gearing up for the Yankee Conference playoffs the weekend of Oct. 9.

Soccer standouts set sail

Maine Maritime Academy football continues to grind out record-setting yardage and point totals with the help of a prolific pipeline of local talent.

Not to be overlooked, the Mariners’ soccer programs are getting a boost from several area performers.

Megan Russell of Peru (Dirigo) has started the first six games on defense for the women’s soccer team at the Castine college. She has registered one assist.

Another Dirigo product, Katie Hutchinson, has scored one goal in her three starts.

Winthrop sophomore Ashley Marcellino joins Russell on Maine Maritime’s starting defense.

For the men, second-year forward Ben Russell of Farmington (Mt. Blue) has been in the lineup for every game and has one assist. Russell also plays basketball for the Mariners.

Shaking the cage

University of Maine at Farmington women’s fall sports feature no fewer than five athletes from neighboring communities.

Abbey Gilbert of Wilton, Beth Charles of New Vineyard and Leigh Ronald of Farmington each have scored a goal in soccer.

Helping the Beavers’ field hockey fortunes are freshman Kaitlyn Bullen of Farmington (Mt. Blue) with two goals and Winthrop junior Jessica Martin with a goal and an assist.

Bobcats’ boss honored

Al Fereshetian, the longtime cross country and track and field coach at Bates College, was recently inducted into the athletics hall of fame at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

Fereshetian coached at Appalachian for seven years before arriving at Bates in 1995. His teams won 12 Southern Conference championships, and he was named the league’s coach of the year on six occasions.

He coached two All-Americans at Appalachian and has produced 34, including six national champions, at Bates.

You’ve been served

Add another tennis player to the lengthy list of Lewiston High School graduates continuing their success in college.

Katelyn Ouellette scored wins in singles and doubles Saturday to lead the University of Southern Maine past Rhode Island College.

Ouellette, a junior, won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2 singles. She teamed with Tegan Talbot for an 8-3 triumph in the top doubles match.

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