KIMOTO CUP 2019

The 15th KIMOTO Cup was held on June 9th (Sunday) and June 16th (Sunday).

5/20 (Mon) Lottery for pairings

On May 20th (Monday), a drawing was held at the Hokusei Civic Hall in Inabe City, and the matchups were decided!
The matches were held on June 9th (Sunday) at three locations: KIMOTO Stadium, Ageki Elementary School Ground, and Fujiwara No.1 Baseball Field. The winning teams advanced to the semifinals and finals at KIMOTO Stadium on the following Saturday, June 15th.

June 9th (Sun) Tournament Day 1

Fourteen teams from Inabe City and Toin Town competed fiercely at three locations: KIMOTO Stadium, Ageki Elementary School Ground, and Fujiwara No.1 Baseball Field.
At the start of the matches, it wasn't raining, but by the end of the first game, it started to drizzle, and by the second game, it was raining heavily...
During the third and fourth games, we managed to continue the matches by adding soil to the field.
Pick up some exciting scenes from the match!

'Sanwa Majors' vs 'Fujiwara Sports Youth Club'

From the first inning, the Sanwa Majors attacked the Fujiwara Sports Youth Club's pitcher and scored repeatedly.
In the final attack, the Fujiwara Sports Boys' Team, who was a substitute due to injury, ran as a substituteHR!
They showed a spirited play, never giving up until the end.
In the second round, the Sanwa Majors continued their strong batting, scoring double digits and advancing to the semifinals.

'Sasao East Sports Youth Club' vs 'Ryugaku Fighters'

Both pitchers performed excellently, making it difficult for either team to score, but in the sixth inning, the Ryugaku Fighters' batting lineup exploded, scoring four runs in one go to turn the game around.

'Yamasato Sports Youth Club' vs 'Jussha Sports Youth Club'

Last year's champions, the Yamasato Sports Youth Club, were in top batting form, scoring in every inning from the first to the fourth and securing the victory.
Can the Yamasato Sports Youth Club, aiming for consecutive championships, explode with their batting lineup in the semifinals as well? It's exciting to see!

After the match

After the matches, the players at KIMOTO Stadium were covered in mud.
Thank you very much for your hard work in the rain.

June 16th (Sun) Tournament Day 2

The semifinals and finals of the KIMOTO Cup, originally scheduled for Saturday, June 15th, were postponed to the following day, Sunday, June 16th, due to rain.
Due to the rain that continued until the morning of the 16th, the start was delayed by just under an hour for field maintenance.

Semifinals - First Match

'Kasama Club' VS 'Inabe Bickies'

The Kasama Club scored repeatedly with long hits in the first and second innings.
The Inabe Bikkies also showed a tenacious attack in the bottom of the fourth inning, narrowing the gap to two points, but the game ended.
The result was a 6-4 victory for the Kasama Club, advancing them to the finals.

Semifinal Second Match

'Yamagō Sports Youth Team' VS 'Sanwa Majors'

The Sanwa Majors steadily scored from the first inning, taking advantage of their opponent's mistakes.
The Yamasato Sports Youth Club scored four runs in the top of the fifth inning but couldn't catch up to the Sanwa Majors, who had a good balance of offense and defense, resulting in a victory for the Sanwa Majors.

Final game

'Kasama Club' VS 'Sanwa Majors'

The top teams from Inabe and Toin are expected to have a great game.
Both teams scored one run in the first inning, exciting both stands.
In the top of the third inning, the Kasama Club added two more runs, leading 3-2 until the middle of the game.
In the fourth inning, just when it seemed like the Kasama Club would hold on, the Sanwa Majors' batting lineup exploded, scoring three runs and successfully turning the game around!
They added four more runs in the fifth inning to seal the win.
In the final inning, Kasama Club faced a chance with one out and bases loaded, but the game ended without another hit.

Champion: Sanwa Majors

As a result, the Sanwa Majors won 8-3, achieving their second overall victory.
It was a very intense and exciting game for both teams!
This year's KIMOTO Cup was troubled by weather on both days, but every team showed their best play until the end.
Thank you all very much for your hard work!
Once again, congratulations to the Sanwa Majors on their victory!