Pioneer Softball Eliminated from CCAA Tournament With Two Losses Thursday
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — Cal State East Bay softball saw its run in the 2025 CCAA Softball Tournament presented by FloCollege, come to an end Thursday at Seawolf Softball Field, falling 6-3 to Sonoma State in the opener and 3-1 to Cal State San Marcos in the elimination game. Despite entering the tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Pioneers were eliminated in the double-elimination format. A three-run home run by Sonoma State and a second-inning surge from San Marcos proved to be decisive turning points in each contest.
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GAME SUMMARIES |
Game One: Sonoma State 6, Cal State East Bay 3
Sonoma State jumped ahead early with a pair of runs in the first inning, including an RBI double and an RBI single. The Seawolves added another run in the fifth after a pair of Pioneer errors.
Cal State East Bay staged a brief comeback in the bottom of the fifth without recording a hit. Three Seawolf errors opened the door, with Amelia Morales scoring on a misplay and both Evyn Morriss and Annelise Garcia coming around to score unearned runs that tied the game at 3-3. Marissa Farias and Alexa Zumstein had an RBI each in the inning.
But in the top of the sixth, a three-run homer by Jasmine Moreno broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Seawolves all the cushion they needed.
The Pioneers had a chance in the sixth with runners at second and third but could not cash in. Garcia singled in the bottom of the seventh in hopes of starting a rally East Bay, but a double play ended the threat.Game Two (Elimination Game): Cal State San Marcos 3, Cal State East Bay 1
The Cougars used a three-run second inning to take control of the elimination game. With the bases loaded, Madison Waymire drew a bases loaded walk to start the game's scoring. After the bases loaded walk, Paige Donnelly singled up the middle to drive in two runs, capping a four-hit frame.
East Bay responded in the third, as Morriss reached on a hit-by-pitch as a leadoff batter, reached second when Ashlee Toy hit a sacrifice bunt, reaching on an error with Morris advancing to third. Then, Garcia singled to shortstop to drive in Morriss, making it 3-1.
The Pioneers threatened again in the sixth when Jeslyn Cuellar doubled and Ysabella Cortez singled to put runners on the corners, but a groundout ended the inning.
Jaidyn Gamble was effective in relief for East Bay, tossing 5.1 shutout innings and keeping the Cougars off the board to give the Pioneers a chance late. However, a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh sealed the game and East Bay's elimination from the CCAA Tournament.
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NOTABLE STATS |
- The Pioneers scored three runs in the fifth inning of Game One despite recording no hits in the frame.
- Annelise Garcia had three hits across both games and now has 225 career hits, passing Danette Davis (1991–94) for second all-time in program history.
- Ysabella Cortez also had three hits on the day, including two in Game Two.
- Marissa Quintero recorded two strikeouts in Game One, surpassing 200 career strikeouts.
- Ashlee Toy added four strikeouts across both games and surpassed 100 for the season.
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UP NEXT FOR CAL STATE EAST BAY |
Cal State East Bay will now await its postseason fate. The 2025 NCAA Division II Softball Selection Show will take place Monday, when the Pioneers are expected to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA West Regionals. Entering the CCAA Tournament as the top team in the latest regional rankings, and currently holding a 38-13 overall record, East Bay has a strong case for both selection and a high seed in the regional bracket.
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