SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State pitcher Maggie Balint tied a career high with 13 strikeouts, and Mac Barbara and Taylor Adams each homered in a 3-1 victory over Middle Tennessee on the opening day of the San Diego State Season Kickoff Thursday night at SDSU Softball Stadium.
Balint (1-0) struck out 13 in just six innings, yielding one run on four hits, no walks and a hit batter. She matched her career high of 13 set against Wisconsin on Feb. 21, 2020 in a nine-inning contest. All 13 strikeouts were swinging.
Allie Light relieved Balint in the top of the seventh inning with a 3-1 lead and retired the Blue Raiders (0-2) in order for the save.
Barbara and Adams each homered in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Aztecs (1-0) managed just one hit over the first three innings off MT pitcher Corrina Dodd.
Middle Tennessee answered in the top of the fifth when a two-out single by Amaya Harris plated pinch runner Savannah Freeman from second base. The Blue Raiders then got a pair into scoring position following a Balint wild pitch, but the right-hander struck out Kelci Hill to get out of the jam.
Jillian Celis later singled in Isabella Espinoza in the bottom of the fifth for the final run of the game.
Barbara had two of SDSU's six hits in the game.
THE NOTE
San Diego State improved to 32-11 all-time in season openers since records were first kept in 1980. The Aztecs have also won nine of their last 10 season openers, 20 of their last 22 and 23 of their last 26.
THE NOTE II
Mac Barbara's home run was the first of her career. Barbara joined SDSU after spending her first two seasons at Ole Miss.
STAT OF THE DAY
Maggie Balint's 13 strikeouts matched the most by a San Diego State pitcher since Rebecca Arbino recorded 15 vs. Iowa State on March 8, 2013. The 13 strikeouts are tied for the seventh most in a game in program history.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs continue their play in the San Diego State Season Kickoff with games against UIC (4:30 p.m. PT) and Stanford (7 p.m. PT) on Friday.
San Diego State 3, Middle Tennessee 1
Middle Tennessee (0-2) 000 010 0 -- 1 4 0
San Diego State (1-0) 000 210 x -- 3 6 0
Dodd, Ahlstrom (5) and Hutchinson; Balint, Light (7) and Romanello
W - Balint, 1-0; L - Dodd, 0-1; SV - Light, 1
HR: San Diego State, Barbara (1), Adams (1)
Other Games on Thursday
(rv/rv) Stanford 3, Middle Tennessee 1 (8 innings)
Maggie Balint Strikes Out 13 in 3-1 Victory over MT
