The University of Mary Washington women's lacrosse team dug itself an early hole, and couldn't climb back in a 12-9 loss to Randolph-Macon College under the lights at the Battleground on Wednesday evening. The Eagles slip to 1-1 on the season.

Randolph-Macon jumped ahead, scoring on their first two shot attempts, and led, 2-0, two minutes into play. After another goal from the visitors, Mary Washington got on the board with an unassisted score from Bridget Crowley with 9:01 left. The Yellow Jackets scored twice more to end the first quarter, and led, 5-1, after 15 minutes.

RMC scored the first tally of the second, but the Eagles started to mount a charge, with scores from Molly Daw at 9:39 and Katie Blair at 5:29. Randolph-Macon capped the quarter scoring and led, 7-3, at halftime.

The Eagles allowed the first score of the third but responded with a pair, from Anna Dube and Daw, to draw to within 8-5 with 7:37 left in the third. But the Yellow Jackets scored three straight to take an 11-5 lead to the fourth quarter.

UMW climbed back into contention in an unlikely way - scoring three goals in 44 seconds in a man-down situation, to draw to within 11-8. Blair scored unassisted at 5:40, and again on a Crowley assist at 5:26, and Caeley Terapane followed with another on a Daw pass at 4:56. Terapane would cap the scoring on a man-up opportunity after RMC stemmed the tide, for the 12-9 final.

The Eagles led in shots, 27-19. UMW goalkeepers Cailyn Tripp and Alison Carolan combined for one save. Blair had three scores, Daw two goals and an assist, and Terapane two scores for the Eagles.

UMW will return to action on Saturday when the Eagles visit Stevens Institute at 3:30 p.m.