Eastern Illinois threatened to upset No. 24 Arizona State on Friday afternoon before the Sun Devils rallied late to beat EIU 9-5.  That loss sent EIU to a 1-1 record to open play at the ASU/GCU Tournament after the Panthers shut out UC Riverside in the opener, 2-0.  EIU is now 5-13 and plays the next two days at the Grand Canyon portion of the event.

EIU 2, UC Riverside 0
Eastern Illinois pitchers Karlie McKenzie and Rylan Gick combined for a two-hit shutout as the Panthers opened the ASU/GCU Invite with a 2-0 win over UC Riverside.
 
McKenzie started the game in the circle working into the sixth allowing just one hit with three strike outs.  She exited in the sixth with the game scoreless.  Gick closed the final two innings allowing one Highlanders hit with two strike outs to improve to 2-2 on the season.
 
EIU's offense came in the bottom of the sixth with Lexie Griffin reaching on an error and Abbi Hatton drawing a walk. Following a sacrifice bunt by Alisha Frederick to move the runners up, Lizzie Stiverson delivered a two-run triple scoring pinch runners Emily Konkel and Adysen Rios.  
 
Stiverson had two hits with the triple and a double earlier in the game.  Chloe Wamboldt went 3-for-3 at the plate.
 
UC Riverside's two hits came off the bats of Gabriella Garcia and Leilani Juan as the Highlanders fell to 1-10 on the season.   Alina Ortiz (0-2) took the loss in relief.
 
No. 24 Arizona State 9, EIU 5
Eastern Illinois jumped out to an early 5-0 lead against No. 24 Arizona State before the Sun Devils had a late rally to avoid the Panthers upset, 9-5.

Lexie Griffin helped EIU jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run homer, her third of the season.   Griffin added a third RBI in the game with a based load walk in the third.

The Panthers extended the lead to 5-0 in the top of the third with a bases loaded walk drawn by Abbi Hatton and single to left by Alisha Frederick.

ASU chipped away at the EIU lead in the bottom of the third scoring two unearned runs against EIU starter Rylan Gick.  Gick pitched 3.2 innings allowing the two unearned runs but did not factor in the decision.

The Sun Devils broke through for a big inning in the bottom of the fifth scoring six runs to take the lead.  Tanya Windle and Ashleigh Mejia had the big hits of the inning with both connecting for two run singles.  Windle and Samantha Swan each had three hits to lead the ASU offense.

Meika Lauppe (4-0) picked up the win with five innings of scoreless relief as ASU improved to 15-3.

Bryanna French fell to 2-4 with the loss in relief.  Frederick led EIU's offense with three hits.  Chloe Wamboldt and Brooklyn Groppel each had two hits.