Kelly Heney, front row second from right, spearheaded a project to donate baseball equipment to a youth league in the Dominican Republic. Heney is a Marianapolis senior and softball captain.
Kelly Heney, a senior captain on the Marianapolis Prep softball team, appreciates playing on a well-manicured field and with top-flight equipment.
Many youth players and high school athletes may take those conditions for granted. But Heney, whose mother Carlixta is from the Dominican Republic, is well aware than not every teenage player enjoys the same priviliges as those in Connecticut or most parts of the United States.
During a recent visit to her mom’s homeland, she noticed the deplorable fields that Dominican youths played on. The Dominican is renown for producing scores of professional baseball prospects despite the fact that country lacks the resources and finances of other countries.
“It was hard to see the fields they play on and their conditions,” Heney said. “As a softball player you go to a certain field and think ‘oh this field isn’t great.’ But their baseball fields are complete dirt and have barbed wire on top of the walls. I feel everyone should feel a social responsibility to help those less fortunate than themselves."
Heney did something more than empathize with Dominican players’ plight. She took action to help out. She started a project to collect equipment to be donated to a youth baseball club in Santo Domingo. She organized fund-raising events at Marianapolis, such as bake sales, to cover the cost of shipping equipment. The Heneys ensured the equipment would be delivered by using a shipping company that Heney's mom had used previously to send large boxes to the Dominican. Kelly, her brother and mom flew to the Dominican for the first time together to oversee passing out boxes of equipment, which included 25 gloves, 20 bats, cathers' equipment, helmets and cleats, to a Dominican youth league coordinator.
Heney has proved to be a star locally ... and globally.
"Often times when volunteering or in charity work you will gain a new perspective and an appreciation for your own blessings which is a powerful thing," Heney said. "I am very thankful to have had this opportunity and thankful for everyone who contributed to the bake sales and to the donation boxes. The credit of this event truly goes to entire Marianapolis community.
The Plainfield High softball team held big expectations coming into this scholastic season.
The Panthers returned a number of key players, including Madison Kelley, the program’s all-time home run leader, pitcher Kacee Hirst, infielders Ryley Meyers and Mackenzie Clubine and outfielder Kristen Rider among others from a Class M state tournament team in 2018.
The expectations elevated a few weeks before the season when Mackenzie Peters, a pitcher-infielder from Fayettville, N.C., transferred into the school after her parents, who are from Plainfield, bought a house there.
Peters, a junior, was All-State in North Carolina. She was 20-2 on the mound and a .548 hitter with extra-base power. She’s settled in to play shortstop and share time pitching.
Plainfield is 2-1 this season. Peters pitched in a 1-0 loss Saturday to Montville and All-State hurler Alexis Michon.
Kelley, who has five homers already this season to give her 24, was hit by a pitch on her elbow in her first at bat and had to leave the game.
Michon, who allowed two hits and struck out 11 against Plainfield, hit an RBI triple for the game’s only run.
ECC’s Division III looks to be quite formidable with Montville (3-0), Plainfield (2-1) and a vastly improved Ledyard (3-0) in the division.
Colonel freshman Samantha Money is a legit, windmill fastball pitcher.
Overall, the ECC features a number of ace pitchers: including Michon, Class LL All-State returnee Bailey Comeau of NFA, lefty Julia Janca of Griswold, Hirst and Peters, Money, the Waterford tandem of Rachel Miller and Maddie Burrows and Windham’s Isabelle Perez, the pitcher to watch in Division IV.
Griswold’s Kaitlyn Davis, NFA's Sarah Cote and Plainfield's Kelley each recorded their 100th career hit last week.