CHICAGO, Ill. – It was the Alyssa Seidler show in the Windy City on Friday afternoon, powering Villanova softball to a 7-0 victory over DePaul with a one-hit complete game shutout in the circle.

The senior twirled a gem for Villanova (23-18, 14-2 BIG EAST), becoming the first Villanova hurler to strike out double digit batters since Paige Rauch in May of 2022. 

Lilly St. Jean totaled a pair of two-baggers in the ballgame for Villanova while Ava Franz and Maranda Runco each drove home a couple runs with doubles on the day.

Tess Cites also contributed a two-hit outing for VU as Ally Jones, who entered the game fifth in the nation for walks per game, earned a base on balls in each of her first three plate appearances.

The Wildcats got a pair of runners aboard in each of the first two innings with singles from Cites and Chloe Smith and free bases for Jones and Grace Reed, but the game remained scoreless after two.

Jones worked another one-out base on balls in the third, then St. Jean scorched a double into left center to score her teammate from first and get VU ahead. An error moved St. Jean up a bag, then a Brooklyn Ostrowski groundout scored her for a 2-0 advantage.

Elizabeth Gray walked and Cites put a base knock into left for a pair aboard in the fourth before Elaina Wagner extended her on-base streak to 22 games with an RBI single through the left side, granting the 'Cats a three-run lead.

After a third Jones walk to load the bases, Franz charged one into left center for a two-run two-bagger before Runco delivered with a pinch hit sizzler to score a pair on her first career double for a 7-0 edge.

Seidler was spinning a beauty to that point, with the first Blue Demon finally reaching base on a single with one down in the fifth to spoil the perfect game and no hit bid.

Both sides were able to get runners on the basepaths in the sixth but neither could plate any, then Seidler struck out a trio of DePaul batters in the seventh to deliver a 7-0 victory in the series' opening game.