ASHLAND, Va. -- The Meredith College lacrosse team battled back from a six-point deficit but ran out of time in a 20-18 loss to Randolph-Macon College Saturday afternoon. Lilia Cruz scored seven second-half goals to lead the match.

Meredith out shot the Yellow Jackets 37-34, but 11 free position goals helped R-MC finish with the win. The Avenging Angels won the defensive battle, causing 13 of the Jackets' 18 turnovers with Henley Peatross and Olivia Blake leading MC Lax with three apiece. Blake tallied four of Meredith's 21 match-leading ground balls.

The hosts opened the match with a 3-0 advantage, but Meredith netted the next four to take their first and only lead of the day with 22 minutes left in the first period. Four of Randolph-Macon's next six goals came from the eight-meter line to leave the Yellow Jackets leading by five at the midway point.

The teams exchanged the next four goals, and Randolph capitalized on an MC penalty at the eight-minute mark to extend the Jackets' lead to six. But Lilia Cruz closed out the period with a pair of goals to give the Avenging Angels a lift heading into the break.

Randolph-Macon scored seconds after the intermission, but Cruz turned up the heat with three goals during a two-minute interval. Yellow Jacket McKenzie Hynson controlled the next three draw controls leading to a trio of points, as the host maintained control of the scoreboard 16-11.

Kylie Phillips picked up the draw for MC Lax, and Peatross finished off the eight-meter goal. Joy Deitrich stopped the next Jackets attempt, and Cruz scored her sixth goal on the day to put close the gap to three at 21:17. The Angels created opportunities during the next eight minutes but could not find a way to the net. With a 4-1 run Randolph held on to a six-point advantage with 8:16 left in the match. 

Meredith scored four more with 2:45 left in the game trailing by just two. The Goalies held strong at their respective nets, and Meredith's Brittany Wartman and Peatross forced a pair of turnovers. But the Avenging Angels would not find a way into the net through the last 2:45 in regulation, leaving the Jackets with a win.

Cruz led all with 11 points on nine goals, two assists, and Maya Flake recorded four goals and a pair of assists. Blake netted three, while Peatross and Briana Petrusa scored one apiece. Deitrich recorded 11 saves with two ground balls in her second loss on the season.

Mary Castle led the Jackets with five goals, and Elicia Wells notched seven ground balls. Hynson led all with 13 draw controls on the day. Elicia Wells posted 14 stops with seven ground balls in her second win this spring.

The Avenging Angels enjoy the next 10 days off from competition to ready for the nationally ranked Mary Washington Eagles. In five meetings the Eagles have managed a 5-0 record versus MC Lax. First draw is slated for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, in Raleigh.