COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State softball's Maggie Balint (West Grove, Pa.) and Bella Espinoza (Huntington Beach, Calif.) each received weekly accolades from the Mountain West on Tuesday. Balint was named the MW Pitcher of the Week for fourth time of the season in five tries and sixth time of her career, while Espinoza was named the MW Freshman of the Week for the second time.
The duo helped the Aztecs (16-10) to a 3-1 record last week at the Torero Classic.
Balint pitched in all four games with two starts, going 2-1 with a save and a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings, striking out 20 without allowing a walk. The right-hander limited the opposition to a .128 average with just two of her six hits allowed going for extra bases (both doubles).
Balint got the complete-game, six-inning win over Weber State on Thursday, allowing just a hit batter (no hits or walks) over four innings as the starter, striking out eight in four innings. She retired the first 11 batters she faced - seven via strikeout - before a fielding error allowed Chloe Camarero to reach first base. Faith Hoe was then hit by a pitch before Balint struck out Arisa Henderson to get out of the small jam. Balint took the loss in extra innings against Weber State on Friday with the international tiebreaker in effect, allowing one unearned run on one hit with two strikeouts in her one inning of relief. She picked up another win against CSUN on Saturday, allowing just two runs (both unearned) on five hits over seven innings, while striking out 10. Balint also pitched a perfect inning of relief in SDSU's 4-3 come-from-behind win over host San Diego on Sunday, earning her first save of the season.
On the year, Balint is 8-4 with a save and a 1.71 ERA in 78 innings, striking out 130 against 14 walks, while limiting the opposition to a .180 average. Balint ranks fifth in the country in strikeouts (130), 13th in strikeouts per seven innings (11.7), 19th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.29) and 23rd in innings pitched (78.0).
Espinoza, meanwhile, was 7-for-14 (.500) with four runs, two RBIs, a walk and one stolen base, posting a .533 on-base percentage. Espinoza had at least one hit in all four games, including multiple hits in two games. She was 1-for-3 with two runs, a walk and a stolen base in SDSU's 9-1, six-inning win over Weber State on Thursday before going 2-for-4 with a run in a 4-3, eight-inning loss against WS on Friday. Espinoza was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run in San Diego State's 8-2 win over CSUN on Saturday. She finished her weekend with a 1-for-4 outing with an RBI and a run in SDSU's come-from behind 4-3 win over San Diego on Sunday.
On the season, Espinoza is hitting .385 (30-for-78) with 18 runs, six RBIs, five walks and a team-high seven stolen bases. Espinoza's 30 hits are the fourth most in the country among freshmen, tied for 45th overall and seventh in the MW.
San Diego State kicks off Mountain West play with a weekend home series against Colorado State at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs and the Rams will play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. PT, with a solo game set for 11 a.m. PT Sunday.