BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gracen Beilstein and Reese Beggs scored goals in a 5-2 loss at Gardner-Webb on Wednesday in the Big South opener for both teams.

Beilstein scored her second goal of the season just 22 seconds after the Runnin' Bulldogs built a 2-0 lead in the 13th minute. After Gardner-Webb scored to make it 3-1, Beggs cut the deficit in half with her first career goal.

Elin Persson and Jenea Knight had assists on the CSU goals, with Persson credited with her first of the year and Knight picking up her third.

It stayed a 3-2 game until Maddie Turlington scored her second goal of the night in the 56th minute. The leading scorer in the Big South made it a hat trick in the 74th minute to put the game out of reach.

Despite the final margin, the Bucs outshot Gardner-Webb, 16-12, and took 12 corner kicks to only four for the hosts. Dakota Fiedler led CSU with three shots, and Beilstein had two on target. 

CSU finishes its two-game conference road trip on Saturday with a 4 p.m. game at USC Upstate.