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Balandis tosses a gem for Reavis
Updated: April 22, 2011 2:02PM
Heading to the circle Wednesday to face neighborhood rival Queen of Peace, Reavis starting pitcher Caitlyn Balandis had a pitch count in mind.
His star pitcher dealing with a nagging forearm injury, Reavis coach Jim Meskill hoped to limit her to three or four innings and between 40 and 50 pitches.
Caught up in a pitcher's duel, Balandis decided to throw the count by the wayside.
"I'm not the type of person who likes to give up on my team when they need me the most," Balandis said. "It was a close game, and I just said I'm going to pitch through this."
The senior starter did more than pitch through it, tossing a gem instead. Balandis threw a complete game one-hitter, striking out 16 and allowing three walks in Reavis' 2-1 win over Queen of Peace.
"It's a testament to her because she works so hard, and she's such a coachable kid for being such a talent," Meskill said. "It's fun to watch when she's in a zone like that."
Balandis had at least one strikeout in each inning as she took a no-hitter into the sixth before finally giving up a single to Jessica Kelly. The senior struck out the next batter she faced to get out of the jam.
Even mowing down the Peace lineup, Balandis and the Rams still found themselves trailing. Stephanie Rich put the Pride (3-7) up 1-0 in the second, scoring on a fielder's choice from third.
Sarah Saunders knotted the game at one in the fourth inning with a solo blast to left field. With Balandis dueling with Kelly on the mound in a game that looked to have extra innings written all over it, the Reavis starter took care of business at the plate.
Her RBI single up the middle in the sixth scored Sabreen Suliman for what proved to be the game-winning run for Reavis (10-5).
"I went through what we did in practice, and remembered how to attack a 3-2 pitch," Balandis said. "It was there so I did what I needed without overpowering it."
Finishing the game out, she did it with what else? A strikeout, her 16th of the game.
Kelly allowed seven hits and struck out four for Queen of Peace.
"We played great, but we just lacked the hitting," Pride coach Nikki Schuch said. "You can't win a game with one hit, and you've got to be able to manufacture some runs somehow."
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