CHARLESTON, Ill. – SIUE softball's run through the run Ohio Valley Conference Tournament ended Saturday with a 7-1 loss to UT Martin.

The Cougars, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, completed the OVC Tournament with a 35-13 record. SIUE exits the tournament with the best overall winning percentage (.729) in the conference. UT Martin moves on to play Eastern Kentucky in an elimination game later Saturday.

The UT Martin pitching combination of Casey Vincent and Kenzi Tate combined to allow six hits against the Cougars. Vincent allowed three hits in four innings while Tate threw the final three innings for her second save of the season.

"We faced come good pitching, and they got the job done. We didn't make adjustments," said SIUE Head Coach Sandy Montgomery.

Alex McDavid led SIUE with three hits and improved her season batting average to .425. McDavid scored SIUE's only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh when Samantha Stanicek doubled her home.

Stanicek capped off an outstanding tournament with her seventh hit in three games. She was named to the All-Tournament team.

"I'm very happy for her," said Montgomery. "She has worked hard and really stepped up. She has done a lot of good things for our program. She handled Haley (Chambers) as a freshman and Erin (Greenwalt) as a junior. And she obviously clicked with Amanda (Lambrecht) over the past two seasons."

UT Martin, 35-19, collected 12 hits, including a three-run home run by Tate in the four-run third inning. Deven Wilson added a solo home run in the fifth.

Greenwalt took the loss for the Cougars and is 11-6 overall. Lambrecht threw the final 3 2/3 in relief.

Montgomery said the Cougars were successful this season with good play in the circle, at the plate, and on defense. SIUE loses just three seniors – Stanicek, Lambrecht, and second baseman Taylor Tooley.

"We have a bright future ahead of us. I certainly like our chances as we get back on the field in the fall," Montgomery said.