FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A masterful pitching performance from Kelsey White and lots of patience at the plate powered Villanova softball to its second ever NCAA Tournament win on Saturday afternoon, taking down Southeast Missouri State 4-1 in the Fayetteville Regional.

White dominated in the circle for Villanova (32-23), tossing five innings of four-hit, one-run, no-walk ball with three strikeouts. Caroline Pellicano continued to add to her Villanova-best single season with her 10th save of the year after a pair of shutout frames.

Ava Franz reached base three times, singling twice and walking once with a pair of runs scored. Chloe Smith added two hits in the ballgame as Tess Cites delivered the game-winning knock with three RBI against SEMO.

White threw just nine pitches in the first to retire the Redhawks and despite walks for Elaina Wagner and Ally Jones, the score remained blank after one.

Southeast Missouri State got on the board first in the second inning, putting a leadoff single through the left side before an RBI double got the designated visitors ahead 1-0.

The 'Cats threatened in their hacks as Franz drew a base on balls and Smith got the club's first hit with a single through the middle before Elizabeth Gray loaded them up with another walk. 

After a SEMO pitching change, Cites came through for the Wildcats with a liner into right, scoring a pair of runs with a single for VU's first lead of the Regional. Subsequent walks from each of Lilly St. Jean and Jones brought another across, allowing Villanova a 3-1 advantage through two.

Franz singled through the left side to lead off the third then Brooklyn Ostrowski and Gray each worked walks, turning the order over with just one down. Cites drew another base on balls for her third run batted in, getting the 'Cats up 4-1.

With White retiring three in a row in the fourth, Franz and Smith each collected their second hit of the ballgame with two-out singles but the lead remained three.

The fifth marked the first frame of the evening that Villanova didn't get anyone on the basepaths and then it was Pellicano's turn in the circle.

The Redhawks loaded up the bags in the sixth with an error and a pair of two-out singles, but Pellicano bounced back by inducing a groundout to end the chance. 

Another 1-2-3 inning followed for the 'Cats, then Pellicano retired SEMO in order to deliver her side its second NCAA Tournament victory in the last three seasons.