FRESNO, Calif. -- Rutgers softball met CSUN for a second time this season and for the second time the Scarlet Knights prevailed.

The Scarlet Knights opened its West Coast spring break trip on Saturday at the Bulldog Invitational hosted by Fresno State with a 7-4 extra-inning victory over the Matadors.

CSUN answered two Rutgers leads, but ultimately it was the Scarlet Knights dropping in three runs in the top of the eighth for the victory.

RU improved to 14-7 overall.

Rutgers 7, CSUN 4 (8 inn.)

• Kyleigh Sand was 4-for-4 with two runs and pushed across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a double.
• LA Matthews went 3-for-3 with RBI double and a career-high three runs scored.
• Mattie Boyd got the start inside the circle going six innings with four runs on six hits and three strikeouts.
• Morgan Smith entered the circle in the seventh with the score knotted at 4-4 to collect the win to improve to 5-2 on the year. In her two innings of work, Smith allowed one hit and struck out one Matador.

• It took four pitches to take the lead and six pitches for a 2-0 edge after a half-inning of play. Kyleigh Sand led off with a bunt and used her wheels to come home on a double hitting the left-center field wall by LA Matthews. Matthews scored a pair of pitches later as Morgan Smith placed the ball into left-center for a base hit.
• Smith made a valiant effort diving for a catch that resulted in a two-run double for the Matadors by Jerzie Liana to tie the game in CSUN's first plate appearance. Smith, however, stopped the Matadors from taking the lead with the next batter. As Lulu Sanchez singled to center, Smith made the throw at the plate for Katie Wingert to tag the go-ahead run out.
• Rutgers went back in front in the third. The bases were loaded and the Matadors made an errant throw to first in trying to get out Payton Lincavage, but instead, Matthews and Smith scored for a 4-2 RU lead.
• CSUN tied the game up at 4-4- in the fifth as Shaylan Whatman launched a two-run home.
• Smith entered the circle for RU in the bottom of the seventh. With Matadors runners on the corners, Smith retired the side on a swinging strikeout for extra innings.
• The Scarlet Knights prevailed in extras putting away three runs in the top of the eighth. Maddie Lawson, who started the inning on second base, scored on a double by Sand for the go-ahead run. Smith provided a sac fly to center to score Sand and Katie Wingert got a high bound at short for an RBI single giving Matthews her third run of the morning.

• Rutgers softball plays game two of the Bulldog Invitational on Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET) against Nevada in the first of two meetings this tournament against the Wolf Pack.