FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Southeast Missouri (28-26) ended its season with a 4-1 loss to Big East member Villanova (32-23) Saturday during an elimination game at the NCAA Regional.
 
The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Champion SEMO softball team closed the book on an outstanding 2024 season. SEMO had the 16th toughest non-conference schedule in the nation and went 16-6 in its final 22 games. The OVC Tournament title was the Redhawks seventh in program history and their NCAA Tournament appearance was third all-time.
 
Villanova, which ranks fourth in the nation in walks, drew nine bases on balls against SEMO pitching.
 
The Redhawks scratched across the first run of the game in the top of the second inning.
 
Marissa Peek led things off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Kynzie Wrigley belted a double to right center and Peek scored giving the Redhawks an early 1-0 cushion. For Wrigley, it was her fifth double of the season and SEMO's first extra base hit of the NCAA Regional.
 
Villanova countered with four unanswered runs to pull away.
 
The Wildcats used a pair of walks and a single to load the bases with one out during their turn in the second inning. After starting pitcher Tegan Livesay exited the game, Paytience Holman inherited the jam. Tess Cites hit a two-RBI single to right giving Villanova its first lead. Cites later scored on a walk by Ally Jones stretching the Wildcats' margin to 3-1.
 
The Wildcats added to their score with another bases loaded walk in the bottom of the third. 
 
Cites drew a bases on balls with one out and Ava Franz scored to make it a 4-1 contest. Maddie Carney relieved Holman and limited the damage as Villanova stranded three more baserunners.
 
Wrigley represented the go-ahead run at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. However, Caroline Pellicano ended the jam when she got Wrigley to hit into a fielder's choice.
 
Livesay (3-4), a freshman, allowed three runs on one hit and walked four in 1.1 innings in her first career postseason start. 
 
Holman threw one inning with three walks and gave up one run and two hits before Carney pitched the rest of the way. Carney shut down the Wildcats the rest of the way tossing 3.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
 
Offensively, SEMO had six hits. Peek went 2-for-3 with her team's only run. Wrigley, Aubrie Shore, Brittany Affolter and Brooklyn Saysoff followed with one hit each.
 
The Redhawks outhit the Wildcats, 6-5.