CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Gardner-Webb (0-8) women's lacrosse team fell by the final of 13-5 at Xavier (1-5) on Thursday afternoon on Corcoran Field.

Graduate attack Gianna Nardini paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with three goals while a pair of other players notched one score each. Sophomore keeper Emma Anderson played all 60 minutes between the pipes, leading the team with 15 saves, seven ground balls, and three caused turnovers.

Xavier struck first in the opening quarter as Maya Graham found Lola Mancuso for the game's first goal with 12:49 left on the board. That advantage did not last long following an equalizer out of the stick of junior midfielder Emma Duchscherer just over one minute later.

However, the Musketeers took complete control of the game with six unanswered goals spanning the entire second period and two minutes into the third, ballooning the score to 7-1 in favor of the home team.

Nardini posted her first of three goals on a man-up opportunity three minutes into the third frame, but Xavier came back with three in a row to control a 10-2 advantage into the fourth.

Nardini went back-to-back before freshman Alexa Kleinberger called her own number, capping a 3-0 burst by the 'Dawgs, while trimming the deficit in half at 10-5 late in the frame. However, Xavier finished the game with the last three scores on its way to the 13-5 win.

Gardner-Webb will return to the field on Wednesday, March 26, heading to Greenville, S.C. to take on the Furman Paladins in the Big South Conference Opener. Game time is set for 7 p.m.