PARKER, August 18, 2013 (AFP) - The European women, who have never won the Trans-Atlantic match play showdown on US soil, take a 10.5 to 5.5 lead into Sunday's 12 concluding singles matches.
No team has come back from more than a two-point deficit to win on Sunday.
France's Karine Icher finished off a perfect Saturday afternoon for Europe when she rolled in a birdie putt from several feet off the green as darkness was falling at the 18th hole of the Colorado Golf Club.
That gave her and Spain's Beatriz Recari a 1 up victory over Americans Cristie Kerr and Morgan Pressel.
In other fourball matches, rookies Jodi Shadoff and Charley Hull defeated Paula Creamer and Lexi Thompson 2 up, Spain's Azahara Munoz and Carlota Ciganda defeated Gerina Piller and Angela Stanford 1 up and Caroline Hedwall and Caroline Masson beat Michelle Wie and Jessica Korda 2 and 1.
Anna Nordqvist had got what proved to be a big day for Europe off to a flying start when she aced the 17th hole to seal a European win in the day's opening foursomes match.
Nordqvist's hole-in-one on the par-three 17th was thought to be the first in Solheim cup history and sealed a 2 and 1 win for her and fellow Swede Hedwall over Pressel and Korda.
"I don't think it has hit me yet," said Nordqvist. "It was a really good shot, going straight at it. We thought it was -- it might be a little long, but it pitched and hit, and it's just an unbelievable feeling."
But the Americans won two of the morning's four foursomes matches and halved another leaving defending champions Europe ahead 6.5 to 5.5 at mid-day.
Americans Stacy Lewis and Paula Creamer defeated Munoz and Icher 1 up in a sensational match that produced 12 birdies.
The Europeans enjoyed one stretch of five birdies in six holes, but botched the final hole as the United States grabbed the point with a birdie.
"It was an emotional roller coaster, really," said Lewis. "We were talking up 18 and I kind of looked at a watch and I said, gosh, I feel like we have been out here forever. We have just been battling back and forth, the highs and lows of it. It was fun though."
US captain Meg Mallon admitted the shifts in momentum in the match -- and the morning as a whole -- were nerve wracking as well as exhilarating.
"I'm standing on the 17th tee watching Anna Nordqvist's ball go in the hole, then to have us finish the matches the way we did was just a great turnaround for us," Mallon said.
Europe, who won the trophy in 2011 in Ireland, had taken a 5-3 lead on the opening day.
Results on the second day of the Solheim Cup USA v Europe women's match play tournament on Saturday at the Colorado Golf Club:
USA 5.5 Europe 10.5
Foursomes
Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (EUR) bt Morgan Pressel/Jessica Korda (USA) 2 and 1
Stacy Lewis/Paula Creamer (USA) bt Azahara Munoz/Karine Icher (EUR) 1 up
Catriona Matthew/Caroline Masson (EUR) v Brittany Lincicome/Lizette Salas (USA), halved
Michelle Wie/Brittany Lang (USA) bt Suzanne Pettersen/Beatriz Recari (EUR) 2 and 1
Fourballs
Jodi Ewart Shadoff/Charley Hull (EUR) bt Paula Creamer/Lexi Thompson (USA) 2 up
Azahara Munoz/Carlota Ciganda (EUR) bt Gerina Piller/Angela Stanford (USA) 1 up
Caroline Hedwall/Caroline Masson (EUR) bt Michelle Wie/Jessica Korda (USA) 2 and 1
Beatriz Recari-Karine Icher (EUR) bt Cristie Kerr/Morgan Pressel (USA) 1 up
Friday's results
USA 3 Europe 5
Foursomes
Anna Nordqvist/Caroline Hedwall (EUR) bt Stacy Lewis/Lizette Salas (USA) 4 and 2
Suzann Pettersen/Beatriz Recari (EUR) bt Brittany Lang/Angela Stanford (USA) 2 and 1
Morgan Pressel/Jessica Korda (USA) bt Catriona Matthew/Jodi Ewart (EUR) 3 and 2
Azahara Munoz/Karine Icher (EUR) bt Cristie Kerr/Paula Creamer (USA) 2 and 1
Fourballs
Suzann Pettersen/Carlota Ciganda (EUR) bt Stacy Lewis/Lexi Thompson 1 and 0
Caroline Hedwall/Caroline Masson(EUR) bt Angela Stanford/Gerina Piller 2 and 1
Brittany Lincicome/Brittany Lang (USA) bt Anna Nordqvist/Giulia Sergas (EUR) 4 and 3
Cristie Kerr/Michelle Wie (USA) bt Catriona Matthew/Charley Hull (EUR) 2 and 1