◆ Farm Championship First Stage: Nippon-Ham vs. Softbank Hawks (3rd, Shizuoka)

In the fourth inning with the score tied, Nippon-Ham took the lead on a wild pitch by the opposing pitcher.

After the leadoff infielder Hiroki Tsuneya created a scoring opportunity with a runner on third and one out via a doble down the left-field line and a sacrifice bunt, Softbank Hawks starter pitcher Shunsuke Iwasaki threw a wild pitch on a bounce during the fourth pitch to the first batter, catcher Kengo Yoshida. Tsuneya scored from third base. Nippon-Ham, who had allowed two runs in the second, turned the game around by scoring in three consecutive inning starting from the bottom of that same inning.

The Farm Championship, which determines the number one farm team in the Farm League reorganized into a three-district system starting this year, will feature Nippon-Ham (1st in the East District), DeNA (1st in the Central District), Softbank Hawks (1st in the West District), and The Giants (Central District), who had the highest winning percentage among the second-place teams in each district. On the 3rd, two matches will be held in the first stage: Nippon-Ham vs. Softbank Hawks and DeNA vs. The Giants, with the winners facing off in the final stage on the 4th for the national title.