TEMPE, Ariz. — The UC Riverside Highlanders split a pair of games Friday at the ASU/GCU Invitational, dropping a tight contest to Eastern Illinois before rallying for a 6-5 win over UNLV at Farrington Stadium.
GAME ONE: Eastern Illinois 2, UC Riverside 0
UC Riverside was locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel through five innings before Eastern Illinois broke through late in a 2-0 decision.
Lauren Mendez delivered 5.0 shutout innings in the circle, allowing five hits while striking out one. The Highlanders turned away multiple Panther threats early, including cutting down a runner at the plate in the fifth inning to preserve the tie.
Offensively, Gabriella Garcia recorded a single in the first inning and Leilani Juan doubled in the seventh to give UC Riverside a late opportunity. The Highlanders drew three walks and moved a runner into scoring position in both the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to capitalize.
Eastern Illinois scored twice in the sixth inning on a two-RBI triple.
GAME TWO: UC Riverside 6, UNLV 5
The Highlanders bounced back in the afternoon matchup, using timely hitting and clutch pitching to secure a 6-5 victory over UNLV.
UC Riverside struck first in the second inning when Gabriella Garcia doubled to right center and later scored on a Trendee Kahunahana RBI double. Kahunahana then crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
After UNLV tied the game in the fourth, the Highlanders responded with a three-run fifth inning. Arianna Saldivar and Taylor Wren opened the frame with singles before Aubrey Marx delivered an RBI single to regain the lead. Leilani Juan followed with a two-RBI single to extend the advantage to 5-2.
UC Riverside added an insurance run in the sixth when Kahunahana walked and Saldivar drove her in with a double to deep right field.
Saldivar finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a double, while Marx recorded two hits and an RBI. Kahunahana went 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and scored twice. The Highlanders totaled 10 hits in the win.
Emory Cheng (2-2) earned the victory, tossing 5.0 innings and allowing four runs while striking out two. Bree Barner picked up her first save of the season, working the final two innings and striking out three to close out the game.
The Highlanders close out the tournament with a rematch against UNLV before facing off against Grand Canyon University, tomorrow, February 27th.
