by www.baseballeurope.com
The second annual Vilnius Cup was held December 28th and 29th in Vilnius, Lithuania. This tournament is an excellent way to break up the long winter, which traditionally keeps teams from playing meaningful games. A total of twelve teams representing four countries (Lithuania, Poland, Belarus and Estonia) participated in the tournament. There were plenty of local ties as Vilnius fielded 4 teams.
A time limit of 50 minutes was allocated to each game. Pool games on Day 1 determined the seeds for Day 2.
The finals saw a pair of talented local clubs, Vilnius Vilkai(1) and Vilnius Vilkai(2) battle it out for the title. Behind some solid hitting and strong defense, Vilnius Sporto Vilkai(1) emerged as repeat champions as they convincingly beat Vilnius Sporto Vilkai(2) 7-1. In the bronze medal match, Kaunas (Lithuania) blanked the Dzialdowo Yankees (Poland) 5-0. The Estonian Panthers, making their first ever visit, finished a respectable 6th.
A time limit of 50 minutes was allocated to each game. Pool games on Day 1 determined the seeds for Day 2.
A warm thank you is extended to all the teams that made this tournament a memorable one. We look forward to hosting next year’s event, and our hope is to grow and field more teams from more diverse nations.
FINAL STANDING
1 Vilnius Sporto Vilk1
2 Vilnius Sporto Vilk2
3 Kaunas
4 Dzialdowo Yankees
5 Brest Zubryj 1
6 Panthers Kiil
7 Vilnius Sporto Vilk4
8 Tigrai Kauno r.
9 Druskininkai
10 Brest Zubryj 2
11 Vilnius Sporto Vilk3
12 Augustow Kruki