In the final of the Central Europe Women's Softball Euroleague 2023, Princ Zagreb from Croatia faced off against the Trnava Panthers of Slovakia. The championship game lived up to the expectations as a nail-biting battle from start to finish.
Princ Zagreb took an early lead by scoring two runs in the first inning. However, the Panthers roared back, securing a 3-2 lead after the second inning.
A pivotal moment came in the third inning when Princ unleashed an explosive offense (five hits by HRZENJAK, SLIšKO, VRANčIć, ČIZMIć POKRAJAC, and JURIć), tallying five runs and seizing a 7-3 advantage. They continued to apply pressure, scoring twice more in the fourth inning, extending their lead to 9-3.
The Trnava Panthers refused to back down and mounted a comeback in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to narrow the gap to 9-8. Princ responded with a crucial run in the sixth inning to make it 10-8.
In the seventh inning, with two outs, the Panthers' FERANCOVá hit a single and then scored on wild pitches. The tying run, MEGOVá, stood on third base when a groundout (4-3) sealed the game with the score of 10-9 and awarded Princ Zagreb the championship.
In the battle for the bronze medal, Apollo Bratislava of Slovakia faced Princ Zagreb. Apollo Bratislava fought valiantly but ultimately fell short, losing to Princ with a final score of 11-7.
Final Standings:
1. Princ Zagreb (CRO)
2. Trnava Panthers (SVK)
3. Apollo Bratislava (SVK)
4. Érd Baseball és Softball Club (HUN)
5. Jánossomorja Rascals (HUN)
6. Medvednica (CRO)
7. Lady Pirates Zagreb (CRO)
Individual Awards:
- Best Pitcher: HÁZI Tamara from Érd Baseball és Softball Club (HUN)
- Best Batter: Petra Čizmić Pokrajac from Princ Zagreb (CRO)
- Most Valuable Player (MVP): GOMBIKOVA Miriama from Trnava Panthers (SVK)
The top four games of the final weekend were streamed and can be watched on the Trnava Panthers Softball Facebook Page.
The 8th Central Europe Women's Softball Euroleague featured clubs from Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia. Spanning four weekends, over third games were played between the seven teams taking part in the league.
