◆Exhibition game: Softbank Hawks vs. Chunichi (March 17, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks outfielder Tomoya Masaki hit a go-ahead three-run homer.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, with one out and runners on first and third, trailing by one run, Masaki, who had been hit in his two At Bat that day, stepped up to the plate for his third at-bat. On a 1-1 count, he swung hard at Ohno's 144 km/h fastball, sending the ball towards the right field foul pole. It landed in the stands for a three-run homer, turning the game around. "Coach Hasegawa advised me to maintain the same feeling as in my first two at-bats, even in this situation, and I was able to swing with all my might as a result. With the open season drawing to a close, I want to make a strong impression with my results," he said enthusiastically.