◆Nippon Seimei Central-Pa. Exchange Games 2026 Chunichi-Softbank Hawks (3rd, Vantelin Dome)

Softbank Hawks has entered their first extra inning game of the season.

Although starter Haru Matsumoto allowed runner from the start, they held on and closer runs. Still, in the fifth inning, Yamamoto led off with a single to left, and with two outs and a runner on second, Muramatsu hit a timely single to left to score the first run. He then gave up a Walk to Takashi Ishikawa, and with two outs and runners on first and second, Hosokawa hit a three-run homer into the home run wing of left field. With four runs in one go, the balance of the match was broken.

However, the five-game winning streak did not end there, as Kondo hit a doble to right-center in the top of the 6th inning, and Kurihara followed with a timely doble to right field for his fourth RBI consecutive game. With no outs, Yu Yamamoto also singled to left field to bring the score to 2 runs, and with two outs bases loaded and a runner at second and third, Masaki doubled to turn the game on its head.

Nevertheless, Tsumori, who came in to pitch in the sixth inning, hit Ukai with Hit by Pitch leadoff pitch and then walked Hanada, putting him in Walk with no outs and runners on first and second. Yamamoto's bunt resulted in a fly ball, leaving runners on first and second with struck out out, at which point manager Kokubo brought in Hernandez. closer pinch hitter Abe swinging, but the first batter, Fukunaga, hit the first pitch to center field, tying the game.

In the eighth inning, they had a chance with the bases loaded loaded and one out, but lead-off hitter Masaki grounded out to the shortstop, and pinch hitter Akira Nakamura grounded out to second base, so they failed to score. The game remained scoreless after that, and went into extra inning innings tied at 5-5.