◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Yakult 1-2 Seibu Lions (11 innings) (26th extra inning Jingu Stadium)

Seibu Lions Kaima Taira pitcher marked a happy first in his 9th year as a professional. hit

In the sixth inning, with the score still 0-0, he led off by swinging at a 133 km/h fork from opposing starter Ken Matsumoto, sending the ball through the gap between first and second base. It was his first hit in his seventh professional at-bat, a single to right hit. "I was able to watch videos of the opposing pitcher for a long time. But in reality, it was even faster and more difficult. I'm glad I was able to swing it well," he said with a smile.

In his first at-bat in the third inning with two outs, he swung hard at a high 148 km/h fastball from Ken Matsumoto on a 0-1 count, thrilling Seibu Lions fans who filled about half of the left-field stands.