◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Seibu Lions 4-1 Hiroshima (11th, Belluna Dome)

They were spurred on by the cheering song of their former rival school. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with one out and runners on second and third base, trailing by one run, it was the sixth pitch thrown by Tarnock. Seibu Lions 's catcher, Taiga Kojima (22), connected with a high knuckle curve, and the ball bounced off third baseman Sakakura's glove for a two-run single to left field, giving them the lead.

On this day, the Waseda University cheering squad, which boasts a long tradition, visited Belluna D and held a "special cheering event." They played cheers every even number of innings, encouraging the team from the upper deck of the left field stands as they fought hard for their first ever interleague championship.

Draft pick number one rookie Kojima is not a Waseda University graduate, but a Meiji University alumnus who has competed fiercely in the Tokyo Big6 League. He felt a fresh surge of energy when the familiar cheering songs he heard at Jingu Stadium echoed through his home stadium. This was his first RBI of June. After raising his right hand on first base, he briefly turned towards the cheering section. "I was beaten quite a bit, so until last year I hated hearing 'Konpeki no Sora' (the Meiji University cheering song). But today it really gave me strength," he said with a smile, referring to the melody of his rival school.

The team has now won five straight games, including their second three-game sweep of the season, bringing their lead to 16 games above .500. They are just one game behind Softbank Hawks, who are currently leading the interleague series, keeping their chances of winning their first championship alive. "I think the atmosphere is very good. There are no games where it's okay to lose, so we want to give our all every day," said Kojima. Manager Nishiguchi praised the team's efforts, saying, "The fact that we were able to quickly get back the lead after giving up points and then overtake them is what led to today's win." (Masahiro Okano)