KIMOTO CUP 2018

The 14th KIMOTO Cup was held on June 9th (Saturday) and June 17th (Sunday).

June 9th (Sat) Tournament Day 1

The weather on this day was perfect for baseball, despite the strong wind!
Intense matches were held in a tournament format at three locations: KIMOTO Stadium, Ageki Elementary School Ground, and Fujiwara No.1 Baseball Field.
Pick up some matches!

KIMOTO Stadium

Haruta Sports Boys vs. Inabe Biggies

In the final inning with a score of 7 to 3, the Inabe Vickies closed the gap to just one point, showing a fierce comeback, but the pitcher of the Haruta Sports Youth Team managed to hold them off and secure the victory.
The tension of the team was palpable, making it a match you couldn't take your eyes off until the end.

Ageki Elementary School Grounds

At Ageki Elementary School Ground, the Yamagou Sports Youth Team advanced.
In both games, they scored double digits, showing excellent batting!
Will they explode with hits and score big in the semifinals as well!? Stay tuned!

Fujiwara No.1 Baseball Stadium

Last year's winner, Fujiwara Sports Youth Club,
In the third game against the Inabe Sports Youth Team, they scored 3 points in the bottom of the 5th inning to achieve a come-from-behind victory!
We are advancing to the semi-finals.

Past winning team panels

We are displaying panels of the past KIMOTO Cup winning teams.
Which team will have its name newly added?

June 17th (Sun) Tournament Day 2

On the second day of the tournament, three matches, including the semifinals and finals, were held at KIMOTO Stadium.
It was unfortunately cloudy at the start, with some rain falling, but the weather gradually improved!

Semifinals - First Match

Haruta Sports Boys vs. Yamagō Sports Boys

The Haruta Sports Youth Team scored the first point at the start,
but the Yamagou Sports Youth Team capitalized on their chances, scoring 1 point in the bottom of the 1st inning and 2 points in the bottom of the 2nd inning,
With stable pitching, they did not allow any runs after the first inning, The result was a 5-1 victory for Yamago Sports Boys.

Semifinal Second Match

Kanda Sports Boys vs. Fujiwara Sports Boys

The Fujiwara Sports Youth Team scored 4 points in the bottom of the 1st inning! They continued to capitalize on their chances and added more points.
The Kanda Sports Youth Team also had chances, but they couldn't quite catch up.
The Fujiwara Sports Youth Team, which scored double digits, advanced to the finals.

Final game

Yamagō Sports Boys vs. Fujiwara Sports Boys

The final match was a showdown between teams from Inabe City.
In a close match worthy of the finals, the Yamagō Sports Youth Club won 5-4, achieving their fourth overall victory.
The Fujiwara Sports Youth Club aimed for a second consecutive championship but unfortunately lost in the finals.
Both teams played with full effort, making it a very exciting and good match to watch.

Champion: Yamagō Sports Boys

This year, the Yamagō Sports Youth Club started with a new system due to a change in the coach.
Moreover, this KIMOTO Cup is their first official match victory!
The moment the victory was decided, the coach, the assistant coaches, and the parents' association who were cheering shed tears, making it a very emotional win.
In the post-game huddle, the coach, though choked up, praised the hardworking players. It was a match where the players could feel the joy of winning and the joy and fun of playing with their teammates.

After the tournament...

I am truly happy that the KIMOTO Cup has become a very exciting and important match for each team.
Once again, congratulations to the Yamagō Sports Youth Club on your victory! Everyone, you did a great job!
I'm looking forward to next year's KIMOTO Cup!