2026 PERSOL Climax Series Pacific League First Stage Game 1: Seibu Lions 3x-2 Nippon-Ham (10th, Belluna Dome)

Nippon-Ham's two-way player Leo Shibata (20) delivered results in his first CS.

He started as the number two hitter and first baseman. Although he grounded out to second in the first inning, he hit singles to center field in both his second at-bat in the third inning and his third at-bat in the fifth inning. Reflecting on the two hits he got off Seibu Lions' Taira, he said, 'That is truly significant.' He added, 'I was visualizing to some extent, considering the pitches from the closer or the waste pitches that came before. I was correcting the issues from my previous at-bats,' showing how he learned from his failures.

However, he did not forget to reflect on the outcome of the walk-off loss in the 10th extra inning. In the 9th inning with two outs and a runner on second base while the score was tied 2-2, he struck out swinging on Kaino's fork. Admitting his failure to capitalize on the opportunity, he said, 'That was a complete defeat.' He then strengthened his resolve for a comeback victory, stating, 'As a result, we lost. It is about what I can do to help the team win. I couldn't do much this time, so next is tomorrow. We will win tomorrow and the day after to move on to the next stage. I will do my best again.'