Reavis' Balandis sisters a one-two punch

Updated: April 6, 2011 3:26PM

Ace pitcher Caitlyn Balandis has been one of the top headline-makers for Reavis for the past few seasons.

As a senior, however, she might be sharing some of them.

Her sister, outfielder/second baseman/catcher Ally, a freshman, is starting and leading off for the Rams, who are 7-3.

Through Saturday's games, the younger Balandis had contributed two doubles, a triple, six runs, six walks and five RBI.

"First of all, she runs like a deer," Reavis coach Jim Meskill said. "That initially gave me the idea she could be a good leadoff hitter. And then just through practice we discovered that she was a very solid contact hitter.

"She's still working to find her comfort zone. She doesn't have the big average. But her on-base percentage is still up there, and already she's established herself as one of the hardest workers on the team who has a great attitude to boot."

Ally Balandis is excelling while overcoming the effects of Erb's Palsy, a nerve disorder in her left shoulder that affects the movement of her left arm.

"It limits her because she is unable to lift her glove arm above shoulder height," Meskill said. "It really puts her at a disadvantage on defense more than anything else, but she does a phenomenal job working through it.

"She has a unique way of attacking a ground ball. She kind of has to come at it from the side, but she's got it down to a science. She never misses a beat. It's actually incredible to watch. She gets every single one. And on the flyballs she just uses her legs to put the ball in a position where she can catch it."

Caitlyn Balandis was an All-Area player in 2010, recording 22 victories with 293 strikeouts to go along with a .417 batting average and five home runs.

Thus far in 2011, she's 5-2 with a 0.44 ERA, with 85 strikeouts in 44 innings. She's hitting .440, with three doubles, three triples, eight walks and seven RBI.

"Caitlyn's off to a great start," Meskill said. "Having coached her for the last couple of years it's interesting to coach her now that Ally is on the team. I've seen a different side of her interacting with her sister.

"She's always been, like, the best teammate. Now we're getting to see a little bit of a mean streak," Meskill continued, chuckling. "They're like sisters are. They're best of friends, but they push each other and tease each other, just like you'd expect."

Sectional fields set

And it appears the most of the postseason power cuts among local teams in Class 4A will be taken at Lockport, where the sectional field includes the host Porters, defending Class 4A champ Sandburg, Lincoln-Way North, East and Central, Providence, Stagg and Andrew. The survivor will move on to the Normal Supersectional.

Marist, which has been caught in the SouthWest Suburban Conference crossfire for the past few seasons, moves to the Morton Sectional where the likely contenders are Mother McAuley, Trinity, Richards and Reavis. That winner goes to the Hinsdale South Supersectional.

In Class 3A, Oak Forest once again faces a long drive to a super (ISU), but the Bengals will host their own sectional, the top foes figuring to be Lemont, Tinley Park, Illiana Christian and Lincoln-Way West.

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