◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Seibu Lions 5x-4 Hiroshima (10th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions The team clinched its fifth consecutive winning series in interleague play at walk-off. Manager Fumiya Nishiguchi reached 100 career wins in his second season at the helm.

The offense made a resounding sound from the first inning. With two outs, Hasegawa and Nevin hit consecutive singles to put runners on first and third base, and Koga Yu hit a two-run doble down third base line to score the first run. Then Watanabe also hit a timely single, and the team scored three runs with four consecutive hits.

Starting pitcher Watanabe gave up a two-run homer to Nahara in the 3rd inning, ending his consecutive homeless runs at 23 inning, but he held on afterward. In the seventh inning, he faced a crisis with runners on first and second with one out, but he retired Nahara, who had been hit by a groundout, on a grounder to shortstop double play, letting out a loud roar. 7 innings, 6 hit, 2 runs. With the cheering squad, including the wind band of his alma mater, Urawa Gakuin, watching from the left field seats, he threw 108 pitches, showing his senior's pride.

Furthermore, in the 7th inning with two outs and runners on first and second base, Yu Koga hit a timely single to right field, extending the lead as the game entered its final stages.

However, closer Iwaki, who took the mound in the ninth inning, proved to be a miscalculation. After walking Sasaki with two outs, he gave up a Walk-tying two-run homer to Montero.

Nevertheless, in the bottom of the 10th extra inning, with one out, Kuwahara reached base with an infield hit to shortstop. Takizawa laid down sacrifice bunt, and finally, Hasegawa hit a dramatic single to left field. This was the second consecutive walk-off hit, a feat accomplished by only three players in the team's history, the first being Kazuo Matsui in 2002.

The manager smiled as he spoke about the milestone victory, saying, "I wasn't even thinking about it at all. Mr. Kameda (the PR person) told me, and I realized, 'Oh, that's right.'"

The hero of the night said proudly, "I'm really happy that we were able to cap off such a memorable game with a walk-off. I think it was a milestone game for the manager as well."