On March 31st, the first round match between Tohoku Rakuten Eagles and Fukuoka Softbank was held at Rakuten Eagles Mobile Strongest Park, and Fukuoka Softbank won a close match 4-2.

Fukuoka Softbank Starter Tomohisa Ozeki pitcher gave up the first run with consecutive hits in the second inning, but did not allow an additional run. In the bottom of the 5th inning, with 2 outs and bases loaded, he took a swing struck out from Hideto Asamura player. He threw 103 pitches in 6 innings and made the game 6 hit 3 Walk 4 strike out 1 runs.

The batting line was hit by Ukyo Shuto player in the top of the 3rd inning with 2 outs on 1st and 2nd base, and the timely hit of Yuki Yanagita player immediately tied the score. In the top of the 4th inning, 2 Walk and Isami Nomura players created a chance to get 1 out and bases loaded with hit, and Shuto took the lead with a sacrifice fly. In the top of the eighth, he scored the third run with one out and bases loaded during a battery error.

In the 8th inning, the score was closed to 1 run, but in the top of the 9th inning immediately after, a timely doble by Ryoya Kurihara players added a valuable run. With a two-run lead, Kazuki Sugiyama pitcher closed the game in the bottom of the ninth. Fukuoka Softbank has won 4 consecutive victories without losing since the opening. pitcher Ozeki made his first win of the season, and pitcher Sugiyama made his second save.

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, which was the opening game of the home base, lost 3 in a row. Kenta Maeda pitcher, who made his first start after the transfer, suffered his first loss of the season in the middle of the fifth inning with a 5 hit 5 Walk 4 strike out 2 runs. The batting line took the lead in the bottom of the second inning with a timely hit by Hikaru Ota player, and in the bottom of the eighth, Fumiya Kurokawa player hit a timely hit, but it was not enough.

123456789 total
So 001100011 4
Easy 010000010 2

So ○ Tomohisa Ozeki- Hernandez -Yuki Matsumoto- S Kazuki Sugiyama
Raku ● Kenta Maeda-Ren Kajiya-Uchi Seiryu Chiharu Tanaka Tanaka - Taisei Tsurusaki -Ryu Kutani

Text by Ayako Kikuchi