GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Lindsey Wilson softball team finished as the runner-up in the Silver Bracket at the Gulf Coast Invitational on Sunday at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.

The No. 2-ranked Blue Raiders (11-5) fell to Faulkner (Ala.) 4-1 in the championship game of the bracket. Earlier in the day, Lindsey Wilson earned a spot in the finals after topping Houston-Victoria (Texas), who is receiving votes in the national poll, 5-0. The Blue Raiders were the No. 2 seed in the Silver Bracket after posting a 3-1 record in pool play on Friday and Saturday.

GAME 1

A complete-game shutout pitching performance by Lyndsey Parden helped guide the Blue Raiders to a 5-0 win over Houston-Victoria (13-5) to open bracket play. Parden allowed just five hits while recording eight strikeouts en route to the win.

At the plate, Lindsey Wilson provided Parden support with three runs in the top of the third to break the 0-0 tie, and later added a run in the fifth and sixth innings to build the five-run cushion.

The three runs in the third came when Jenna Firestein scored on a fielder's choice, Callum Pilgrim scored on a double play, and Amber Foukes hit a solo home run. Sydney Fourman followed with a solo home run in the fifth and Abbi Goedde added a solo shot in the sixth for the final run of the game.

Lindsey Wilson would finish with 10 hits in the game led by Foukes' three.

The win sent the Blue Raiders into the championship bracket final against Faulkner.

GAME 2

In the championship game, all the scoring came in the first two innings as the final five went by scoreless.

The Blue Raiders struck first with an RBI double by Fourman, but the Eagles came right back in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a costly Lindsey Wilson fielding error that allowed two runs to score and put Faulkner ahead 2-1.

The Eagles extended their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the second on back-to-back RBI singles.

After just one base runner in the third and fourth innings, the Blue Raiders had runners on the corners in the fifth but were unable to cut into the Faulkner lead as the inning ended on a fielder's choice.

From there the Blue Raiders were unable to put together consistent offense as the Eagles (8-5) were able to hold on for the win.

Casey Bryan took the loss in the circle allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits. The Blue Raiders outhit the Eagles 9-7 in the loss, including a 3-for-4 game from Pilgrim.

Lindsey Wilson returns to action on Tuesday as the Blue Raiders host Bryan (Tenn.) in a doubleheader set for 3 p.m. CT at Lindsey Wilson Park.