GULF SHORES, Ala. – The fourth-ranked Lindsey Wilson softball team was eliminated from the Gold Bracket of the Gulf Coast Invitational on Sunday with a 2-1 loss to NCAA Division II member Spring Hill (Ala.).

The Blue Raiders (12-3) struggled to get to get to Spring Hill (16-3) starting pitcher Caroline Sagrera for the second day in a row, also falling to the Badger pitcher yesterday in an 8-2 loss.

Jordan Hood kept Lindsey Wilson in it from the circle as she went punch-for-punch with Sagrera as they both threw five scoreless innings to start the game.

All the scoring in the game finally came in the sixth inning with the Blue Raiders striking first.

Chelsea Showers belted a solo shot over the left-field fence, her fifth home run of the year, to give Lindsey Wilson a 1-0 lead.

But Spring Hill answered in the bottom half of the inning as a pair of singles followed by a double by Mary Glass put the Badgers on top 2-1.

Lindsey Wilson was unable to generate offense in the final frame and went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh and was eliminated from the bracket with the 2-1 loss.

Hood (4-1) took her first lost of the season giving up both earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Sagrera moves to 12-2 on the year allowing the one earned run on four hits.

Earlier in the day, Lindsey Wilson avenged a loss to top-ranked Auburn-Montgomery (12-4) that the Blue Raiders suffered earlier this season, this time defeating the WarHawks 8-3 in their opening game of the Gold Bracket.

The potent Blue Raider offense got to starting pitcher Cassie Jones early, building a 6-1 lead after two innings.

All nine batters came to the plate in the bottom of the first as Andrea Whelan and Travatia Bowden both singled home a run for the 2-0 lead.

AUM trimmed one back in the top of the second after an error allowed a run to score and cut the lead in half.

In the bottom of the second, the Blue Raider offense exploded for four runs to extend the lead to 6-1.

After Ericka Clifford, Jenna Firestein and Showers reached on two walks and a bunt single, Whelan stepped up and smacked a grand slam on a 1-1 count to tack on four runs.

The WarHawks would not go away quietly as Lauren Shaw hit a two-run home run to make it a 6-3 game in the top of the third.

Then Lyndsey Parden (3-1) went to work in the circle. The junior retired 12 of the next 16 batters during the final four innings, six via the strikeout. She scattered seven hits allowing the three runs, two earned, with nine total strikeouts en route to the complete-game win.

Lindsey Wilson added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth when Amanda Trampe hit a two-run RBI single as the Blue Raiders cruised to the 8-3 win.

Jones (11-2) suffered the loss giving up six earned runs on five hits in just two innings.

The Blue Raiders return to action when they are scheduled to host Madonna (Mich.) in the 2015 home opener on March 13.