Take a glance at the Cape Cod Baseball League website and you’ll note that the Orleans Firebirds have much to celebrate this week. Not only is the team sitting atop the East Division, but it's also well represented in Saturday’s All-Star game in Wareham with an impressive nine men on the East roster. Comprising the game-play lineup will be first baseman Ethan Paul, second baseman Romy Gonzalez, left-fielder Ji...

CHATHAM ─ Many student athletes view summer vacation as a time to step back and relax a little. Mollie Charest isn't one of them. Rather than chill out during the break, Charest has stepped up her dedication to softball by traveling far off-Cape to practice and play, but if it helps her reach her goals it will all be worth it, especially if she realizes her dream of playing in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics....

Firebirds fans had much to cheer about this week when their top-notch team took to the road and trounced both Chatham and Harwich in back-to-back outings, with the wins helping to keep the Orleans team poised firmly atop the East Division as the second half of summer baseball gets under way. Strong Pitching, Timely Hitting Lift Orleans To An 8-2 Win Against Chatham A four-run fifth inning and solid pitchi...

HARWICH ─ When it comes to raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Cape and Islands, it takes a big tournament featuring some small fins, all to benefit the kids involved with the organization, which is why the Big 3 Fishing Tournament is all about the “Littles.” Littles are the little brothers and sisters mentored by the dedicated volunteers of Big Brothers Big Sisters, and this Friday marks the f...

CHATHAM ─ On a summertime afternoon John Schiffner stands at the third-base dugout fence gazing out at Veterans Field, taking a breather in between fielding text messages and phone calls that followed in a flurry after the announcement that his 2017 season as head coach of the Chatham Anglers will be his last. “It's time, for a lot of reasons,” Schiffner said. While the winningest head coach in Cape Cod B...

HARWICH ─ The magic number when Harwich Mariners hosted the Chatham Anglers on July 2 was five. The Mariners were looking to end a five-game losing streak and thanks to a five-run fifth inning did so with a bang, coming away with a 7-3 victory to end their drought. The game-changing inning kicked off when Max Burt reached first on an error by Chatham first baseman Ashton McGee, with Burt racing to second bef...

Swing by Whitehouse or Veterans fields on any given weekday morning and you'd expect to see ballplayers at work honing their skills. After all, the fields are the respective homes of the Cape Cod Baseball League's Harwich Mariners and Chatham Anglers. But while baseball skills are a big part of mornings during the summer months, the fun belongs to the game's future generations taking part in the annual youth clin...

HARWICH ─ When Paul “Spanky” Demanche attends Monomoy football games this fall it will be as a fan cheering on his son and not as head coach of the program. On June 22 Demanche signed his official contract to serve as athletic director of Plymouth North High School, ending his tenure in Harwich and beginning a new adventure. Demanche said he first became aware of the job when it was originally posted roughly...

CHATHAM ─ The hill on Crowell Road is always the toughest part of the annual Chatham Harbor Run, but this year it saw more smiling faces crossing the finish line than not. Perhaps it was the ideal weather on Sunday, or the fact that nearly 200 runners earned themselves the bragging rights of having finished a summertime 10K, no easy feat. Ian Nurse was the first overall runner in the event, coming down the c...

HARWICH ─ The forecast threatened rain but runners in the Harwich 5K were undaunted as they took to the streets for the annual event, running into summer in stride. Crossing the finish line first and far ahead of the pack was Sam Thomas of Brewster who posted an impressive time on the 3.34-mile course of 16:18.2, a full two minutes ahead of second-place finisher Andrew Groff of Lancaster, Pa. Emilee Palme...

HARWICH ─ The morning of her first-ever pickleball tournament, Jan Belleville was nervous. After all, it was the first time she'd taken her game to the competitive level. In the end, Belleville had nothing to worry about, ultimately playing toward a medal win in the area's first Women's Intermediate Pickleball Tourney. The event was held June 21 at Brooks Park and featured a host of local athletes competing ...

CHATHAM ─ Mother Nature certainly worked hard to keep the Chatham Anglers from getting their 2017 season started at home, but once it did the A's battled to a pair of victories in their double header against Wareham. It took until Sunday for the Anglers to see game play at Veterans Field after their official home opener against Cotuit on Friday was rained out after half an inning. Returning center fielder DJ...