Hayward, Calif. — Marissa Quintero, the CCAA's Pitcher of the Year, out-shined Cal State San Marcos' collective group of All-CCAA and awards winners as she lifted Cal State East Bay into the championship game of the 2026 CCAA Softball Tournament, presented by FloCollege.

The Pioneers defeated the top-seeded Cougars, 3-0, in Friday's first semifinal game behind Quintero's stellar pitching performance. Quintero yieled seven hits, but was able to escape a number of CSUSM rallies unscathed. She struckout six and walked two in the complete game shutout for her 27th win of the season.

Cal State San Marcos will return to play again later today, in an elimination game against the winner of the Cal State Dominguez Hills-Cal Poly Humboldt match-up.

Quintero out-dueled San Marcos' Daleah Cardenas, the CCAA Freshman of the Year, who pitched 6.2 innings strong, but did allow three runs on eight hits. The Pioneers ace stranded seven Cougars on-base, including a crucial bases-loaded one-out jam in the fifth inning. CSUSM worked the bases full and had Player of the Year Jillian Albayati and Newcomer of the Year Zoe Karam up to the plate. However, Quintero got a fouled-out and a weak grounder to second to keep the Cougars scoreless.

CSUSM also had a chance to rally back in the seventh inning, getting a single and walk, but Quintero got Albayati to lined into a double play to end the game.

Rylee Gomez got the Pioneers on the board first in the second inning with a solo homer centerfield. Jeslyn Cuellar then singled in Isabel Mercado in the second to make ti 2-0. CSUEB tagged on an insurance run in the top of the seventh with a RBI single by Gomez, who ended up 3-for-4 with two RBI and Jasmyn Morales went 2-for-2 to lead the Pioneers.

Czar Fleischman and Jordan Elias each had two hits for Cal State San Marcos.