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

Nippon-Ham caught up to a 2-2 tie in the third inning with an RBI hit by outfielder Kazuki Miyazaki.

An opportunity arose from consecutive Walks starting with the lead-off batter. Although the fourth batter, outfielder Kane Edokpolo, was struck out looking, the following batter Miyazaki dropped a high fastball into right field on a 1-strike count despite getting jammed slightly. Outfielder Daiki Asama then returned home from second base with a head-first slide to score the tying run.

Miyazaki joined the team as a 2023 third-round draft pick from Yamanashi Gakuin University. In this, his third professional season, he has appeared in seven games for the first team and recorded two hits.

The Farm Championship, which determines the number one farm team in the Farm League reorganized into a three-district system starting this season, 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.