Hayward, Calif. — Back-to-back bombs by Cal State East Bay in the sixth inning turned a tight game into a dramatic finish by the host team as the Pioneers captured the 2026 CCAA Softball Tournament championship with a 5-1 win over Cal State San Marcos.

The Pioneers belted two homers on three pitches to break open a 1-1 score as Cal State East Bay proved banner worthy for its first conference tournament title. With the victory, CSUEB gains the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament next week. Cal State San Marcos, which entered the week as the top ranked team in the West Region, is expected to also be hosting one of two regionals.

Rylee Gomez took a first-pitch to start the sixth inning to right-center field and the tournament's most valuable player Jasmyn Morales with a dinger to left on a 0-1 pitch to completely switch the momentum. The back-to-back homers followed a play at home as CSUSM's Jordan Elias was thrown out at the plate to end the top of the sixth.

Cal State San Marcos took an 1-0 lead in the first after forcing the winner-take-all game by winning the first contest 5-2. Rae D'Amato doubled in Marissa Morales who had ledoff the game with a single. Morales, went 6-for-6 in two games today, set a new CCAA tournament record with nine hits.

After that it was a pitching duel between two of the best in the CCAA with Jordan Hill and Marissa Quintero.

Gomez and Jasmyn Morales each had two hits. Morales had homered in the fourth to tie the game at 1-1 before hitting another in the sixth to put the exclamination mark on the tournament. Morales tied the tournament record with three home runs.

CSUSM Freshman Daleah Cardena was stellar in relief in the first game, going seven innings and gave up just one run on four hits.

...more to come

2026 CCAA All-Tournament Team
Jasmyn Morales, Cal State East Bay (MVP)
Marissa Quintero, Cal State East Bay
Rylee Gomez, Cal State East Bay
Jordan Elias, Cal State San Marcos
Daleah Cardenas, Cal State San Marcos
Marissa Morales, Cal State San Marcos
Czar Fleischman, Cal State San Marcos
Shelby Shanks, Cal Poly Humboldt
Katlyn Gifford, Cal Poly Humboldt
Marissa Brody, Cal Poly Humboldt
Abreanna Alba, Cal State Monterey Bay