The United States lead by three points going into the historic third-day eight singles finale to the 35th Curtis Cup match over the Old Course, St Andrews.
In glorious sunshine and in front of a shirt-sleeved crowd of 5,800, Mary McKenna's Great Britain & Ireland squad shared the morning foursomes 1.5-1.5 but lost the afternoon four-ball ties 2-1.
So the United States increased their 4-2 first-day lead by a 3.5-2.5 margin for a Saturday night scoreline of United States 7.5-4.5.
There is not much between the two teams. The Americans have won three of the four sessions by a 2-1 margin but skipper Carol Semple Thompson's talented squad seem to win the points that matter.
Once again there was a lot of good golf played in perfect conditions.
The six Saturday ties produced a combined total of 33 birdies, compared with Friday's all-in count of one eagle and 40 birdies.
It is golf of the highest standard and GB&I are hanging on in there. But they face a mammoth task to make up a three-point margin over only eight closing ties.
Scots Sally Watson and Krystle Caithness kept GB & Ireland's flickering hopes alive with a great win in the afternoon four-ball ties.
16-year-old Watson from Edinburgh and 19-year-old American college student Caithness, for whom the Old Course is her home course, shot six birdies and were six under par in notching up a terrific 3 and 2 win over America's number one-ranked college golfer, Amanda Blumenherst and Meghan Bolger.
