DAVIS, Calif. -- In a game that featured plenty of drama and three lead changes, it was CSU Bakersfield that outlasted Sacramento State, 5-4, in eight innings on the first day of the Aggie Kick-off Softball Tournament Friday morning at La Rue Field.

The game marked the season opener for the Hornets, as Sacramento State will play four more times between now and Sunday as part of the three-day event. That includes a game later today against UC Davis, followed by a pair of games tomorrow against Santa Clara and Montana, and Sunday vs. Santa Clara.

With the victory, Bakersfield, which opened the tournament with a 6-3 win over Montana early this morning, improved to 2-0.

A sacrifice fly from Kaylynn Burt in the top of the eighth proved to be winner in a game that featured a combined nine runs, 19 hits, 18 runners left on base, and lasted nearly two and a half hours. The Roadrunners used two unearned runs in the top of the seventh to take a 4-3 lead only to see the Hornets get a bases-loaded, two-out walk in the bottom of the inning to force extra innings.

The Hornets scored three times in the fourth inning via RBI-singles from Sasha Margulies, Kayla Papez and Nikki Gialketsis. Both the Papez and Gialketsis singles came with two outs as the Hornets led, 3-1, heading to the fifth inning.

Bakersfield got within, 3-2, after a Julea Cavazos RBI-double in the top of the fifth, and took the lead in the seventh inning. After Hornet reliever Celina Matthias retired the first batter of the seventh, the Roadrunners got three straight singles to load the bases. Bakersfield would then take advantage of a Hornet error to tie the score at 3-3. Later in the inning, heads up base running by Cavazos, who scored from third on a throw back to the infield from shallow right field, gave the Roadrunners a 4-3 lead.

Sacramento State loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before Kortney Solis worked a full-count walk to tie the score. Papez, who had reached base safely in each of her first three plate appearances, however, struck out to end the inning.

With the tiebreaker rule in effect, Karsyn Guzman was placed on second base to start the eighth inning. After a wild pitch advanced her to third base, Burt lined a 1-1 pitch to left field, allowing Guzman to score.

Sacramento State was retired in order in the bottom of the eighth by Roadrunner reliever Sydney Raeber.

It was Raeber (1-0) who got the win, allowing three hits and one run in 4.1 innings of relief. Matthias (0-1) got the loss for the Hornets in relief, yielding five hits and three unearned runs in 3.1 innings. Senior left-hander Kaitlyn Yerby threw the first 4.2 innings for Sacramento State, allowing two runs and six hits.

Seven different Hornets had hits in the game, including the first collegiate hits for true freshman Natalie Alas, Alexxiss Diaz and Sydney Rasmussen. Papez finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored, walk and an RBI. She was the only Hornet with a multiple-hit game.

For Bakersfield, Raeber reached base in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a walk.

Sacramento State returns later today to take on tournament host UC Davis for a game that is scheduled to begin at 3:15 p.m.