KYOTO (Kyodo) Mika Konishi threw a four-hit shutout as the Hyogo Swing Smileys trounced the Kyoto Asto Dreams 8-0 in the opening game of the Girls Professional Baseball League on Friday.
The season opener for the first Japanese women's pro league in 59 years drew a crowd of 2,295 people on a chilly night at Wakasa Stadium.
The only two teams in the league will play 40 games, mostly on weekends, through Oct. 27.
A total of 30 players, who passed tryouts last fall, were divided into the two clubs in the Kansai western region in December's draft.
The previous Japanese women's pro league came to a halt after only two seasons.
