Europe down by one in Solheim Cup

Europe trail hosts the United States 4.5-3.5 going into day two of the Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms.

This was after a gutsy showing in the afternoon foursomes.

Home captain Beth Daniel got the start she wanted in the morning session, carrying a 2.5-1.5 lead after the fourballs, but opposite number Alison Nicholas will be buoyed by an all-square afternoon.

Wales' Becky Brewerton and Frenchwoman Gladys Nocera beat Angela Stanford and Nicole Castrale and Anna Nordqvist joined Maria Hjorth to see off Kristy McPherson Brittany Lincicome 3&2 to keep the visitors in the hunt of a first ever win on US soil.

Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson lost their foursomes encounter against Christina Kim and Natalie Gulbis 4&2, while Paula Creamer and 49-year-old wild card Juli Inkster closed out a 2&1 win over Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie in the last match out.

That represents a reasonable return for Nicholas, who may have feared a much bigger deficit in a morning session that at one stage looked disastrous.

Creamer and Cristie Kerr got the defending champions up and running with a 1up victory over Pettersen and Gustafson, who endured a tough day, but Europe hit back to level matters when Helen Alfredsson and Tania Elosegui triumphed by the same margin against Stanford and Inkster.

The USA were up after seven holes in that match and square after eight but a strong back nine from Alfredsson and Elosegui ensured Europe's first point.

Brittany Lang and Lincicome produced a comprehensive 5&4 win over English veteran Laura Davies and Brewerton in match three, a chastening result for Davies, to hand the Americans a 2-1 lead.

And it would have been 3-1 had Matthew not held her nerve to hole a five-foot putt at the 18th to ensure she and Hjorth halved their topsy-turvy encounter with Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie.

The USA require 14 points to retain the cup, while Europe, who have never won on American soil, need 14.5 to win it.

Tomorrow sees another round of foursomes and fourballs before Sunday's potentially decisive singles.

Daniel used all 12 American players on the opening day, with Europe using 11 players, Italy's Diana Luna the one to miss out.