Team Greece Finishes U-22 European Championship with 5-1 Record

By Sophia Karavantos Schnur

The Greece Women's U-22 National Softball Team closed out its run at the 2026 WBSC Europe U-22 Women's Softball European Championship with a 12-5 victory over Switzerland, finishing the tournament with an impressive 5-1 overall record.

Team Greece made the most of every opportunity. Greece responded to its lone defeat by winning four consecutive games, run-ruling each opponent on its way to an unbeaten placement round and ending the championship with significant momentum.

Greece's offense continued to shine in the tournament finale despite recording just six hits. Team Hellas capitalized on five walks, timely hitting and four Swiss errors to score 12 runs.

Sophie Pappas led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs, while Georgia Polydoros finished 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. Kirsten Malasky added two hits, including a double, drove in two runs and scored twice.

Sophia Vlahos drove in three runs, Kasey Xenidis added a hit and an RBI, and Vereniki Maniadi collected an RBI in a pinch-hitting appearance. Chloe Trimandilis, Sylvia Mudis, Selina Psarras, and Sofia Zepeda all reached base to help keep the offense moving throughout the game.

In the circle, Kasey Xenidis earned the victory after pitching three innings, allowing three runs while striking out three. Sophia Vlahos started the game, working two innings and allowing two runs as the duo combined to secure Greece's fifth win of the tournament.

The tournament began with a 6-4 victory over Sweden, as Greece received contributions throughout the lineup. Sophie Pappas hit a home run and drove in two runs, while Chloe Trimandilis added an RBI. Xenidis earned the win with six strikeouts over four innings before Vlahos recorded the save with three scoreless innings.

Greece's lone setback came in a 4-0 loss to Austria despite another strong pitching effort. Xenidis surrendered no earned runs over five innings, and Vlahos tossed two scoreless innings in relief, but Team Hellas was unable to capitalize offensively despite drawing seven walks.

Rather than allowing the defeat to define its tournament, Greece responded with one of the most impressive stretches of play in Ostrava.

Team Hellas opened the placement round by defeating Croatia 12-2, scoring eight runs in the second inning behind home runs from Sylvia Mudis and timely hitting throughout the lineup.

Greece followed with an 18-5 victory over Switzerland, collecting 15 hits as Georgia Polydoros, Sophie Pappas and Sophia Vlahos all homered in an explosive offensive performance.

The momentum continued against Denmark, where Greece recorded a 10-0 shutout behind another dominant performance from Xenidis, who tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout with six strikeouts. Offensively, Polydoros hit two home runs and drove in four runs, while Vlahos and Pappas also homered.

The placement round championship concluded with another convincing victory over Switzerland, giving Greece four consecutive run-rule victories to close the tournament.

Throughout the week, Team Hellas established itself as one of the tournament's hottest teams. Greece finished 5-1 overall, scoring 64 runs over its final four games while displaying explosive offense, quality pitching and outstanding team chemistry.

While the tournament's format limited Greece to a maximum finish of 13th place following pool play, the team's performance told a much different story. Team Hellas proved it could compete with and dominate quality international competition, outscoring opponents by wide margins and finishing the championship playing its best softball.

The future is bright for Greece's U-22 program. With standout performances from players including Georgia Polydoros, Sophie Pappas, Sophia Vlahos, Kasey Xenidis, Kirsten Malasky, Sylvia Mudis, Chloe Trimandilis, Alessandra Iliakis, Selina Psarras, Seveene Patakos, Vereniki Maniadi, Demetra Trimis, and Sofia Zepeda, Team Hellas leaves Ostrava with valuable international experience and plenty of momentum heading into future competitions.

The 2026 U-22 European Championship ended with an official order of finish that belies Greece’s competitive level of play throughout the week. Its overall 5-1 record and four straight run-rule victories demonstrated the growth, resilience and talent of Greece’s national softball program that continues to make significant strides on the international stage.