◆Nippon Life Interleague Series 2026 Softbank Hawks 8-1 Yakult (13th, Mizuho PayPay Dome)

Softbank Hawks The team scored a decisive victory over Yakult, moving one step closer to their 10th Interleague Championship in two consecutive years. Isami Nomura infielder (29), who started at second base and shortstop for the first time this season starting line-up, unleashed his “Ozone Layer Destruction Batting Style,” going 4-for-4 At Bat 2 hit 3 RBI—including back-to-back hits in two at-bats—and led the team’s eight-run offensive onslaught.There is one game remaining in the Interleague series. Depending on the results of Seibu Lions and Nippon-Ham, a moment of jubilation could arrive as early as the 14th.

He has brought his team much closer to winning the interleague series. In the sixth inning, leading 2-1, Nomura led off a one-seam fastball from Yakult 's Yamano and sent it to the right of the center field scoreboard. In the seventh inning, with a four-run lead and one out and a runner on first, he hit his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot over left field, making it two home runs in a row. Nomura described his best hit as the "ozone layer destroying batting style," and on the victory platform, he delivered a joke, saying, "I'm the one destroying the ozone layer!" Hailing from Kansai, Hyogo prefecture, he has a bright personality. Following his two home runs in the game against Hanshin Tigers on the 9th (at Mizuho PayPay Dome), it was a day where he fully displayed his characteristic style.

His contribution to the team isn’t limited to his powerful home runs. Although the team fell behind in the second inning, he drew a walk from full count with two outs in the third, reaching base at Walk. Immediately after, Kondo hit a two-run homer to take the lead.Manager Kokubo reaffirmed Nomura’s explosive power, stating, “Yu (Nomura) has power hitting ability, so he has the power to change the team’s atmosphere,” while also noting that his sacrifice bunt to Walk was “crucial.”

Last season, he played in 126 games, batting .271 with 12 Home Run and 40 RBI. He started 2026 determined to become the starting shortstop. However, after the season began, he had a batting average of .161 and Home Run runs by May. He went through a long period of struggle, but he stuck to the attitude he learned from Yamakawa in 2025: "In baseball, if you increase the speed of your batted ball by 1 km/h, the probability of getting hit also increases. The ultimate goal is to take a full swing on three pitches and come back." While the mainstream bat length for professional baseball players is around 85 cm, he didn't change his 87 cm bat, which he uses to hit for extra bases, saying, "It's not about the equipment." His results are a testament to his patient trial and error, simply by "continuing to do it." In late May, his third child, a daughter, was born, and he stands on ground with an even stronger sense of responsibility.

The team scored a total of eight runs with a powerful offensive surge that included three Home Run, successfully defeating Yakult 's Yamano, who has seven wins this season. With only one interleague game remaining, manager Kokubo is focused solely on finishing with a victory, saying, "We just want to do what we need to do." They will fight together as one team towards their tenth championship. (Tosei Moriguchi)