BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Loose balls were the biggest difference as the Bridgewater College women's lacrosse team fell 18-5 to #10 Washington & Lee on Wednesday.

The Eagles actually won the draw control battle 12-11 and held their nationally-ranked opponents to just one goal in the opening seven minutes of play. Defenders Mackenzie Parcell (4 CTs, 2 GBs) and Kayla O'Sullivan (2 CTs, 3 GBs) were constantly deflecting W&L passes throughout the game, but the Generals were able to recover a vast majority of the ground balls.

Ultimately, W&L held a 28-14 in ground balls and committed four fewer turnovers.

After W&L's Cordelia Peters had hit the post in the early going, the Generals countered and had a 3-on-2 opportunity. Parcell slowed it down and made the visitors reset, but Alex Meyer converted later on the same possession to open the scoring.

The game stayed 1-0 for the opening seven minutes. The Eagles were unlucky when O'Sullivan partially deflected a pass from Jess Castelo, but redirected it past Mikaela Brooks (nine saves) and into the Eagle cage to make it 2-0.

Bridgewater finally answered after two more W&L tallies in the next 78 seconds as Anna O'Hara drew a double team and found Kristen Stark open to make it 4-1.

Brooks made a double-save on Mimi MacCowatt- blocking a free position chance before MacCowatt picked up the rebound and tried a quick flip that also wouldn't beat the Eagle goaltender. Stark struck on Bridgewater's first eight-meter chance of the game to make it 7-2 with 10:39 left in the first.

Rebecca Wellford had her shot blocked but picked up the loose ball at the top of the area and flipped it in to make it a double-digit W&L advantage, 12-2 with 1:45 left before halftime.

Sarah Yashinskie opened the second half scoring with a solo drive that cut the W&L lead to 13-3. Abby Houtz again cut it to 10 later in the period; Stark won the ensuing draw control and then hit the post with a chance to get the game into single-digits.

Washington & Lee added two shorthanded goals late in the game.

Bridgewater (9-4, 3-3) will host Methodist on Saturday at 7 p.m. at James Madison University's Sentara Park.