COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State softball pitchers Maggie Balint (West Grove, Pa.) and Dee Dee Hernandez (La Crescenta, Calif.) each received weekly accolades from the Mountain West on Tuesday. Balint was named the MW Pitcher of the Week for the fifth time in seven chances this year, while Hernandez was chosen as the MW Freshman of the Week for the second time.
The duo led the Aztecs (22-10, 6-0 MW) to a series sweep at defending MW champion Fresno State last weekend. It was the first time in program history that SDSU swept the Bulldogs in Fresno and the second time that Fresno State has been swept in a home conference series since at least the 1997 season (available records only go back to 1997).
Balint pitched in all three games, going 1-0 with two saves and a 0.75 ERA in 9 1/3 innings, striking out 11 against three walks. Balint allowed just six hits (five singles) for a .194 opponent average. The right-hander picked up the 5-1 win on Friday after allowing one run on four hits and three walks over seven innings, while striking out eight. Balint got the save in a 5-4 victory on Saturday, allowing two hits in two innings of relief, striking out three. She finished her weekend with a save for the second straight game in a 4-2 triumph on Sunday, inducing a groundout against the only batter she faced.
On the season, Balint is 10-4 with three saves and a 1.44 ERA, striking out 152 against 18 walks, while limiting the opposition to a .172 average. Among the San Diego State single-season leaders, Balint ranks first in strikeouts per seven innings (10.93) and opponent average (.172, since 1991), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.44), sixth in win percentage (.714), seventh in WHIP (0.801) and hits allowed per seven innings (4.32), and tied for ninth in saves (3). Balint also ranks tied for seventh in country in saves (3), ninth in strikeouts (152), 13th in strikeouts per seven innings (10.93), 18th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.44) and 33rd in ERA (1.44).
Hernandez, meanwhile, pitched in two of the three games last weekend, going 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven with one walk allowed, while giving up just five hits for a .192 opponent average. Hernandez struck out one with one walk in an inning of relief in a 5-4 SDSU victory on Saturday. The left-hander then picked up the win in a 4-2 Aztec victory on Sunday, allowing two runs on five hits over 6 2/3 innings, while striking out six. Hernandez was just one out away from her first complete game shutout before allowing a pair of runs on a double and a single.
On the year, Hernandez is 5-3 with three saves and a 1.76 ERA, striking out 44 with seven walks, limiting her opponents to a .232 average. Hernandez ranks among the top-50 pitchers in the country in saves (3, T-7th), walks allowed per seven innings (0.88) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.29, 38th).
San Diego State plays host to Nevada this weekend at SDSU Softball Stadium with games at 6 p.m. PT Friday, 4 p.m. PT Saturday and noon PT Sunday.