Mariah Lopez was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, a recognition she earned by throwing a three-hit shutout at No. 15 Florida State last Friday.
Every bit of that excellence was needed as the Wildcats squeaked out a 1-0 win, their only victory in the three-game series. Lopez struck out nine and only walked one.
It was a big step forward after she had not been her sharpest to begin the season. The senior right-hander is now 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA. She has 35 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.
Lopez and Denham more or less split Arizona’s innings 50-50 last season, but so far Denham is seeing more time in the circle, compiling 43.