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06/15/2017 12:00 AMCaitlin Ranciato recently completed a stellar sophomore season with the North Haven softball team that saw her make a big impact throughout the local softball community. The way Caitlin did that was by organizing a benefit game for Danielle “Danni” Kemp, a former All-State softball player at Foran High School in Milford who passed away earlier this year.
Kemp was a member of the team at Division I Stony Brook University in Long Island when she died at age 19 on March 10 following a battle with an inoperable brain tumor. The tumor was discovered months earlier when Kemp underwent an MRI after experiencing dizziness and problems with her balance and focus after getting hit in the head by a pitch while playing for the Stratford Brakettes.
Caitlin felt like she “needed to do something for her and her family,” and so she organized a fundraiser in Kemp’s honor when North Haven hosted Foran on May 1. Caitlin was happy that the game was such a success, as well as the fact that people from outside of North Haven and Milford came to show their support.
“I read a lot about her and her teammates. I knew a couple of her teammates, and they all said she was nice and was always a team player. She was a really good person in general,” Caitlin says. “When we played Foran, a lot of other kids came to the game. I know the whole East Haven team came. Her family was there, and the game was in honor of her. Everything raised went to scholarships for girls in sports. We were able to raise over $500, and it ended up being a real turnout.”
North Haven Head Coach Sally Maher says that she was beyond proud of Caitlin for taking the initiative to organize such a special event.
“She wanted to do something. It was very impressive, because most kids don’t even think like that. We organized the game and raised money that night. That was all her idea,” says Maher. “[Kemp] passed away during our season. We talked about doing it before she passed, but unfortunately, she did before our game. We did it to raise money for the scholarships.”
When it comes to her softball skills, Caitlin has the ability to play just about anywhere on the field. However, this spring, she found her home at the shortstop position with the Indians.
“I’ve played a lot of positions. Recently, I’ve played a lot of short in high school, but in middle school, I played left field, and, for my travel team, I’m playing second base,” Caitlin says. “It allows my coaches to use me anywhere, because I know there are a lot of players on the team that can play a lot of positions. If they needed me anywhere else, I can play there any time. Depends on where they need me.”
Caitlin had a great season at the plate and came through with several timely hits. She wound up leading North Haven with 28 hits and 20 RBI on her way to a .373 batting average on the season.
“I had a pretty good season hitting wise. I worked a lot in the winter hitting with my coaches,” says Caitlin. “It just transferred to the field in certain situations.”
The 2017 campaign was a great one for the Indians, who won the SCC Oronoque Division title on their way to a record of 20-5 that included three postseason victories. Caitlin feels pleased with what North Haven accomplished this spring and wants to continue being a budding leader for the team throughout the next two seasons.
“It felt really good. We’re a young team with a lot of sophomores, so for us to go out and play like we did, it felt really good. I hope it’s a sign of what is to come,” says Caitlin. “I work on my communication and talking with people. I like to make sure everyone knows what is going on.”