Malta Slowpitch Cup 2025

The Malta Baseball and Softball Association hosted the third edition of the Malta Slowpitch Cup at the Marsa Baseball and Softball Field over the weekend of 1st and 2nd November. The tournament featured a mix of local and international competition, with Malta and Heat representing the host nation, while Boracheros, Guzzeuro, Balls & Dolls, and Dream Team Ljubljana travelled to participate. Across two days of play, teams competed in a series of round-robin games leading up to the final. Special thanks goes to Sportmalta for their support through the Bednight Scheme, helping make this international event possible.

Game 1 – Guzzeuro at Dream Team Ljubjana

The Malta Slowpitch Cup opened on Saturday, 1st November, with Guzzeuro squaring off against Dream Team Ljubljana in the tournament’s first matchup. Guzzeuro came out swinging, plating four runs in the top of the first, while Dream Team answered with three in the bottom half. In the second inning, Guzzeuro tacked on another run to stay ahead as Dream Team went down scoreless. The third inning saw Guzzeuro break it open with a five-run rally, countered by a lone run from Dream Team. Both sides traded a single run in the fourth before Guzzeuro sealed the win with six more in the fifth. The opener wrapped up 17–6, giving Guzzeuro a confident start to their campaign.

Game 2 – Boracheros at Heat

The second game of the Malta Slowpitch Cup saw Heat take on Boracheros. Heat jumped out of the gate, putting two runs on the board in the top of the first, while Boracheros were held scoreless. In the second inning, Boracheros rallied for four runs, but Heat answered with three of their own to maintain the lead. The third inning proved decisive, as Heat strung together a five-run inning while Boracheros managed just one. Both teams were retired in order in the fourth, leaving Heat ahead. The game wrapped up 10–5 in favor of Heat, giving them a strong start in the tournament.

Game 3 – Malta at Balls & Dolls

The third game of the Malta Slowpitch Cup featured Malta against Balls & Dolls. Malta came out swinging in the top of the first, plating 12 runs, while Balls & Dolls managed seven in the bottom half. In the second inning, Malta extended their lead with seven more runs, keeping Balls & Dolls off the scoreboard. The third and final inning saw Malta tack on five runs, with Balls & Dolls unable to mount a comeback. With strong hitting and aggressive baserunning across all three innings, Malta secured a 24–7 victory.

Game 4 – Balls & Dolls at Dream Team Ljubjana

Saturday morning continued with Dream Team Ljubljana taking on Balls & Dolls. Balls & Dolls managed to put a runner across in the bottom of the first, but Dream Team answered with a four-run top half. In the second inning, Dream Team added a two-run rally, while Balls & Dolls were retired in order. The third saw Dream Team plate another two runs, keeping the pressure on, and they added three more in the fourth as Balls & Dolls remained scoreless. In the fifth and final inning, Dream Team finished strong with six runs, sealing a 17–1 victory and their first win of the tournament.

Game 5 – Boracheros at Guzzeuro

As Saturday reached noon, Boracheros took on Guzzeuro in a tight matchup. Guzzeuro came out swinging, plating four runs in the top of the first, while Boracheros managed one in the bottom half. In the second inning, Boracheros added a run as Guzzeuro were retired in order. The third saw Boracheros rally for five runs, with Guzzeuro’s offense responding with two. Guzzeuro added a single run in the fourth, while Boracheros were held scoreless. In the fifth and final inning, Boracheros tacked on two more runs, and Guzzeuro added one, leaving Boracheros with a narrow 9–8 win, marking their second victory of the day.

Game 6 – Malta at Heat

In a showdown between Maltese slowpitch teams, Heat squared off against Malta. Heat came out swinging in the top of the first, driving in three runs, while Malta managed a single run in the bottom half. Heat kept the bats hot in the second inning, plating five more runs as Malta couldn’t get any runners across. In the third, Heat added a two-run rally, with Malta again held off the board. Heat capped the game in the fourth with a run of their own, leaving Malta scoreless. With solid hitting and aggressive baserunning throughout, Heat cruised to an 11–1 victory after four innings.

Game 7 – Balls & Dolls at Guzzeuro

Saturday afternoon continued with Guzzeuro taking on Balls & Dolls. Guzzeuro came out swinging in the top of the first, plating four runs while keeping Balls & Dolls off the board. In the second frame, Guzzeuro unleashed a seven-run rally, though Balls & Dolls managed to get a runner home for a lone run. The third saw Guzzeuro extend their lead with five more runs, leaving Balls & Dolls struggling at the plate. Both teams were retired in order in the fourth, before Balls & Dolls finally pushed across a single run in the fifth. Guzzeuro’s consistent hitting carried them to a 16–2 convincing win.

Game 8 – Dream Team Ljubjana at Heat

In the eighth game of the Malta Slowpitch Cup, Heat took on Dream Team Ljubljana in a matchup full of offense. Heat came out swinging in the top of the first, driving in seven runs, while Dream Team countered with three in the bottom half. Heat kept the momentum going in the second inning, plating another seven runs as Dream Team was retired in order. In the third, Heat managed just a single run, while Dream Team pushed across two to chip away at the deficit. Heat added three more in the fourth, keeping Dream Team off the board, and in the fifth, Dream Team managed a lone run, giving Heat a decisive 18–6 victory.

Game 9 – Malta at Boracheros

In the final game of Saturday, Malta took on Boracheros in a back-and-forth contest. Both teams were retired in order in the first inning, but Malta came alive in the second, plating six runs while Boracheros couldn’t get a runner across. The third inning was a defensive battle, with neither team scoring. In the fourth, Boracheros pushed across two runs, with Malta held scoreless. Malta answered with a two-run rally in the fifth, while Boracheros added just one. In the sixth and final inning, Boracheros staged a late surge, scoring five unanswered runs to knot the game at 8–8, ending the 50-minute matchup in a dramatic tie.

Game 10 – Boracheros at Balls & Dolls

Sunday morning started off with the Boracheros taking full command against Balls and Dolls in a one-sided matchup. Boracheros came out swinging in the top of the first, driving in five runs with solid contact up and down the lineup. They followed with a big second inning, plating nine more as their bats stayed hot. In the third, Boracheros added four insurance runs, keeping the pressure on. Balls & Dolls couldn’t find their rhythm at the plate, going scoreless through all three innings despite a few solid defensive plays. The game wrapped up 18-0, a shutout victory for Boracheros.

Game 11 – Dream Team Ljubjana at Malta

Sunday continued with the Malta taking on Dream Team Ljubljana. Malta opened with three runs in the first inning, while Dream Team answered with two. The second inning proved decisive, as Malta broke the game open with ten runs, capitalizing on steady hitting and aggressive baserunning. Dream Team was held scoreless that inning but managed two runs in the third to narrow the gap slightly. Malta added three more in the third and one in the fourth, while Dream Team added a single run late in the game, their final run of the game as the context ended with a 17-5 win in favour of Malta.

Game 12 – Heat at Guzzeuro

An unbeaten Heat team takes on Guzzeuro next, in a high-scoring contest that went down to the wire. Heat came out strong in the opening inning, putting up eight runs to take an early lead, then added two more in the second. Guzzeuro’s defense tightened in the middle innings, holding Heat to just one run in the fourth and none in the third or fifth. Guzzeuro broke through late, scoring two runs in the fourth and an impressive eleven in the sixth, mounting a major comeback push. Despite the late surge, Heat held on to edge Guzzeuro 14–13 after six innings.

Game 13 – Dream Team Ljubjana at Boracheros

Looking to secure their 2nd seed in the standings, the Boracheros took on Dream Team Ljubljana in a dominant showing. Boracheros exploded out of the gate, bringing home fifteen runs in the first inning through a mix of clean hitting and smart baserunning. They kept the momentum in the second, adding nine more runs to widen the gap. Dream Team Ljubljana struggled to get runners aboard and couldn’t break through against Boracheros’ defense. With the score firmly in hand, the game concluded after the third inning, giving Boracheros a commanding 24–0 victory.

Game 14 – Heat at Balls & Dolls

The Sunday afternoon started off with leaders Heat taking on Balls & Dolls in a game controlled from start to finish by Heat. They opened with two runs in the first inning and followed with a big seven-run rally in the second, building an early cushion. Heat added one more in the third and sealed the result with six runs in the fourth. Balls & Dolls struggled to generate offense, held scoreless through all four innings despite several well-hit balls that didn’t find gaps. The game ended 16–0, giving Heat another strong win in the tournament.

Game 15 – Guzzeuro at Malta

In the penultimate game of the tournament, Malta had the 2nd seed in sight as they took on Guzzeuro. Guzzeuro set the tone early with six runs in the first inning, capitalizing on a quick offensive burst. Malta responded with a single run in the bottom half but couldn’t build further momentum. The middle innings saw strong defensive play from both sides, keeping scoring to a minimum. Guzzeuro added one run in the fifth to extend their lead slightly, while Malta managed another in the third but couldn’t close the gap. After six innings, Guzzeuro secured the 7–2 victory, setting up a final game between Boracheros and Heat.

FINAL – Boracheros at Heat

The Malta Slowpitch Cup final brought together Boracheros and Heat in a high-energy championship matchup. Boracheros came out swinging, scoring four runs in the first inning and maintaining steady offense throughout the game. Heat answered with two runs in both the first and second innings, but Boracheros continued to pull ahead with runs in nearly every frame. A three-run fourth and a four-run fifth gave Boracheros firm control of the game. Heat managed to stay competitive with a four-run rally in the fifth, yet Boracheros’ consistent hitting and solid fielding kept them in command. After seven innings of play, Boracheros sealed the game with a 21–10 victory over Heat.

Malta Slowpitch Cup 2025 Champions: Boracheros

Malta Slowpitch Cup 2025 Most Valuable Player: Terry Mines (Boracheros)