COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Diego State softball's Maggie Balint (West Grove, Pa.) has been named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, the league announced Tuesday. It is the third weekly MW accolade of the season for the right-hander in four tries and the fifth of her career.
Balint went 2-0 last weekend with a 1.40 ERA for the Aztecs (13-9), limiting the opposition to a .205 average. Balint struck out 30 batters against just four walks in 20 innings.
Balint allowed one run on three hits and a walk over five innings in a no-decision against Brigham Young on Thursday, striking out seven with just one walk. She then posted a complete game win in a 6-2 Aztec victory over California on Friday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over the seven innings, while striking out 10 batters. Both of the runs allowed came in the first inning and she later retired 12 consecutive batters at one point. Balint came in relief against Long Beach on Saturday, giving up one run on four hits over four innings, while striking out seven. She ended her weekend with a start in SDSU's run-rule shutout win over Stony Brook on Sunday, tossing four scoreless innings with three hits and a walk allowed, while striking out six.
On the season, Balint is 6-3 with a 2.05 ERA, striking out 110 against 14 walks in 65 innings, limiting her opponents to a .190 average. Among the national leaders this year, Balint ranks a tie for fifth in strikeouts (110), eighth in strikeouts per seven innings (11.8) and a tie for 22nd in innings pitched (65.0).
SDSU plays at USD for the Torero Classic next weekend with games against Weber State on Thursday (5 p.m. PT) and Friday (noon PT), CSUN at 2 p.m. PT Saturday and at San Diego at 12:30 p.m. PT Sunday.