◆ Seibu Lions Pacific League: Seibu vs. Orix Buffaloes (August 1st, Belluna Dome)

infielder Kazunari Ishii, who transferred from Nippon-Ham as a free agent last offseason, hit his long-awaited first hit since the transfer on the 1st.

He started the game as the number 9 batter and second baseman. In the 8th inning with one out and a runner on first base, trailing by four runs, hit a 148 km/h fastball from opposing starter Espinoza for a single through the gap between second and short. For Ishii, it was his first hit in his third game and seventh at-bat since joining the team.

He played in 15 exhibition games, but his performance was poor, with only 3 hit in 37 At Bat and a batting average of .081.