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

Nippon-Ham pulled back a run in the second inning while trailing by two, thanks to an RBI hit by rookie infielder Hiroki Tsuneya.

Standing in his first at-bat of the game with two outs and runners on first and second, Tokitani hit a ground ball between first and second base on the second pitch for an RBI single to right field. Tokitani is a 22-year-old who joined the team as the first pick in the 2025 developmental draft and was promoted to the 70-man roster this July in his first year. He has appeared in five games at the major league level this season.

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.