By Mark Lamport-Stokes

SUGAR GROVE, Illinois (Reuters) - Resurgent Europe outplayed holders the United States at the Solheim Cup on Saturday, ending a gripping second day at Rich Harvest Farms tied for the lead at 8-8.

Having trailed by 4- points to 3- overnight, the Europeans dominated the morning fourball matches before splitting the afternoon foursomes encounters to leave the biennial team competition delicately balanced.

They are well aware, though, their hosts have won five of the last seven editions of the Solheim Cup despite having led only once going into the last-day singles.

"We haven't been that good over the years, but we have won singles series and we've got nothing to lose," European captain Alison Nicholas told reporters. "We just got to go out there and play our hearts out."

The Americans, who lead the series 7-3 overall, won the last two matches of the day in fading light to give themselves a late boost for Sunday's 12 singles encounters.

"I'm really proud of them for the way they came back," U.S. captain Beth Daniel said. "It was not looking too good for us for a while and they really rallied in those last couple of matches.

"That was huge, and it also should be a huge momentum swing for us to come back that way."

Swede Sophie Gustafson and Britain's Janice Moodie set the tone for the visitors in the afternoon's first match, thumping world number four Paula Creamer and Cup veteran Juli Inkster 4&3.

Creamer and the 49-year-old Inkster failed to register a single birdie on their own ball and never recovered after losing the first two holes.

"They played great and we just kind of gave them the match," a dejected Creamer said after losing her first point of the week in her third outing. "We didn't play very well out there."

FLAWLESS DISPLAY

Briton Becky Brewerton and Gwladys Nocera of France piled up five birdies in a flawless display to sweep aside Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim 5&4 and put Europe ahead 8-6.

However, the Americans leveled as Kristy McPherson and Morgan Pressel beat Helen Alfredsson and Suzann Pettersen two up before Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie scraped past Swedes Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth one up.

Kerr and Wie were fortunate to halve the par-four 17th after running up a double-bogey and they also halved the last when Horth missed a six-foot birdie putt in the gathering gloom.

"We probably shouldn't have played but I don't think any of us wanted to come back at like 6:00 a.m. (tomorrow) and finish a half a hole," Kerr said.

Earlier, the Europeans capitalized on a late shift in momentum to tie the score at 6-6 after winning two, losing one and halving one of the morning's fourball matches.

Norway's Pettersen and Swede Nordqvist edged Nicole Castrale and Kerr one up with Nordqvist sealing victory by ramming in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th green.

Nocera and Hjorth held off a late fightback by Brittany Lincicome and McPherson to win one up while Britain's Catriona Matthew and Italian Diana Luna recovered from two down with two holes remaining to halve their match with Angela Stanford and Brittany Lang.

The Americans had registered the day's first point when Wie and Kim crushed Swede Alfredsson and Spaniard Tania Elosegui 5&4 with a high-energy display of sparkling golf to put the U.S. ahead by 5- to 3-1/2.

Europe, who have lost the last two Solheim Cup matches, need 14- points to win for the first time on American soil.

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)