PORTLAND, Ore. – Pitching 21 2/3 innings and tossing three complete games last weekend has earned Montana State University Billings softball senior right-handed pitcher Jessyka MacDonald the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week award announced by the conference office Monday.
 
"Mac pitched amazing for us this weekend," commented MSUB head coach Lisa Allen. "She really kept Simon Fraser off balance the entire series. Her goal for this season was to have the team depend on her and know that she was in the circle to get the job done. This weekend she definitely met that goal and we look forward to her continuing that goal throughout the rest of the season."
 
MacDonald, a Billings West High School graduate, helped the Yellowjackets to a 3-1 series victory over Simon Fraser in the team's home-opener over the weekend. She threw a two-hit shutout in the series finale and pitched all 10 innings of Sunday's doubleheader allowing just one run on five hits. MacDonald pitched in all four games – starting three of them – and logged an ERA of 1.25 with 15 strikeouts and just six walks.

She gave up just three earned runs on the weekend and held SFU's lineup to a .183 batting average. MacDonald logged complete games in all three of her starts, and allowed just 24 baserunners in 21 2/3 innings pitched. MacDonald was nearly untouchable in the final game, retiring 11 of the first 12 batters she faced and carrying a no-hit bid into the fourth inning before a single by Danielle Raison. The senior right-hander needed just 113 pitches to get through the two run-rule games on Sunday, striking out two in each game and walking just one total in the outstanding performance.

MSUB shortstop Taylor Hoke was an honorable mention Player of the Week selection, after batting .462 with two home runs and a team-high seven RBIs in the series.

This is the second GNAC Player of the Week honor this season for MacDonald, who earned the award from Feb. 23 – March 1 when she picked up three wins and a save while allowing 10 hits in 15 innings with 12 strikeouts in a tournament in Nampa, Idaho.
 
First baseman Emily Osborn has also earned the honor from the GNAC this season, picking up Player of the Week the same week MacDonald won her honor for the first time.
 
The Yellowjackets are back in action this weekend at the Tournament of Champions hosted by Cal State University Stanislaus in Turlock, Calif.