FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Contributions up and down the lineup powered the Villanova Wildcats to their first ever NCAA Regional final appearance after a 7-2 defeat of the No. 16 Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday evening.
The win sends Villanova further in the NCAA Tournament than they've ever been before, with just one NCAA victory in Villanova's history before the two today. Tonight's victory over a 12 seed marks the first seeded team knocked off in this year's tournament, it's the third ever SEC victory for the Wildcats as well as the first top 25 opponent the 'Cats have knocked off this year.
Seven members of the lineup totaled hits for Villanova (33-23), including two-hit, two-RBI efforts from Tess Cites and Elaina Wagner. Elizabeth Gray scored twice while reaching base three times on a pair of singles and a walk as Chloe Smith added a pair of hits and runs.
Kat Gallant went five frames as the winning pitcher with four strikeouts and just five hits allowed with Caroline Pellicano allowing just one baserunner in two innings of relief.
Gallant needed just six pitches to set down the Razorbacks in the first inning, then worked around a leadoff single in the second with a robbed home run by Kelsey White and an impressive play by Ava Franz helping to keep Arkansas scoreless.
Following another instance of Gallant stranding a leadoff single, Emily Orr became VU's first baserunner with her first ever postseason hit and second base knock of the season. Gray and Cites quickly joined her aboard with bases on balls, then Wagner came through with a single into right for a 1-0 ballgame.
Franz kept up her hot weekend at the dish in Fayetteville, rolling one back up the middle to plate Gray and grant the 'Cats a two-run edge after three.
Arkansas answered back with a pair of solo home runs in the fourth to knot the game back up at 2-2.
Smith began the bottom of the fourth with her third hit of the day and got up to third base on a wild pitch and Gray single up the middle for runners on the corners with two down.
Cites came up and crushed a ball to the fence, allowing Smith and Gray to cross the plate on Villanova's first extra-base hit of the NCAA Tournament. Wagner stayed hot with her second straight RBI single, lining one into center to score Cites for a 5-2 game.
The Razorbacks threatened right away, using their speed to string together a pair of two-out baserunners before Gallant forced a flyout from one of the nation's most dangerous hitters to keep it a three-run game.
White singled through the left side for a one-out runner in the fifth, then Smith blooped one in front of the diving shortstop for a single. Brooklyn Ostrowski laced one on the ground to second and the throw went home, but it bounced out of the catcher's mitt to score White.
Gray came through in the clutch for Villanova with two outs, beating out a single to the shortstop to score Smith and go up 7-2.
Pellicano entered the circle in the top of the sixth and dominated, surrendering only a bunt single in the sixth before a three-up, three-down seventh to secure Villanova's furthest trip into the postseason in program history.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will look to advance to their first ever Super Regional on Sunday, needing a pair of wins over the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats to move on.
