"It was an unforgettable day in my life," says Lotte's first draft pick rookie, Misho Nishikawa whose first hit turned into a winning hit, the team's first feat in 28 years.

Sports Hochi

2025.3.29(土) 06:00

６回１死二、三塁、藤原の右前適時打で二塁走者・西川がヘッドスライディングで生還（捕手・谷川原＝カメラ・朝田　秀司）

◆ Pacific League Softbank 2-8 Lotte (28th, Mizuho PayPay)

Lotte's first-round draft outfielder Misho Nishikawa University, who was selected as starting line-up in the opening game, had his first professional hit in the sixth inning against last season's league champions Softbank which became the game-winning hit.

Lotte's first draft pick Nishikawa recorded his first hit, first RBI and first assist in his pro debut, leading the team to their first opening win in three years. This was the first time in 28 years since Kosaka in 1997 that a rookie hit the winning run in an opening game for the team. In his first hero interview, he vowed, "I get goosebumps. This is an unforgettable day in my life. I'll give the commemorative ball to my parents. I'll do my best to win three games in a row and return (to home base)."

His debut match was watched by his mother and sister, who were invited from his hometown of Wakayama. I was nervous, but I had time to swing Aya Ueto's pitch at the first pitch ceremony and feel that I was throwing a good ball. With two outs in the fourth inning and one run behind, he caught Zhou Dong's single to left field with the defense on second base, returned the laser beam to home plate, and stabbed the runner at second base for the first out. He stopped the runs and kept his composure in his third at-bat of the sixth inning, saying, "I was able to get it into my flow with that play."

With the two seam fastball tied and runners on first and third with no outs, Nishikawa took a full swing at Arihara's two-seam fastball, sending it to the left field for the winning hit. This sparked a fierce attack after that. Even though he was batting first for the first time since the European representative game (Kyocera Dome) on March 7 last year, Nishikawa stuck to his usual style. Aoyama Gakuin University coach Ando, who taught Nishikawa to swing hard, testified, "I told him to go all out with first baseman action on first baseman strike. As a result, I never blamed him even if he finished with one pitch." His full swing, which twisted the number "6" of Lotte's glory, is sure to become his signature even in the pros.

"I want to gain momentum," said manager Yoshii, who batted Nishikawa first and won the opening win for the first time in his third year in the position. "Nishikawa was enthusiastic from the first inning. The young players did their best," he said with a big smile. The team got off to a great start toward their first league victory in 20 years. (Ami Shunsuke)