◆ Pacific League: Softbank Hawks vs. Lotte (5th, Mizuho PayPay)
Softbank Hawks has removed Hokuto from their active roster.
The right-handed pitcher, a graduate of Chuo University's semi-hardball baseball team, who was only registered as a professional player on the 1st, made his professional debut as a starter in the game against Lotte the previous day (4th), but suffered his first professional loss, giving up 8 hit on 5 runs in 2 innings. In his place, infielder Jeter Downs was promoted.
![[Video] Kurihara hits his 20th home run, the fastest in both leagues.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/06/21/20260621-OHT1I51358-C.jpg)
![[Scoreboard] Softbank Hawks vs. Lotte](https://hochi.news/assets/v2/img/hochi_news_sns.png)
![[Lotte] Kyota Fujiwara hits a home run on the first pitch: "I focused on the fastball and swung hard from the first pitch." This is the first big hit for the team in three years since Hiromi Oka](https://hochi.news/images/2026/07/04/20260704-OHT1I51274-L.jpg)
![[Lotte] Kyota Fujiwara hits a home run on the first pitch of the first inning, his third of the season, off the first pitch of pitcher Hokuto, a former Chuo University semi-hardball player making his professional debut, to right-center field.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/07/04/20260704-OHT1I51202-L.jpg)
![[Lotte] Rises back from 5th place with a one-game lead! 11 hitter score 7 runs in the 2nd inning! Chuo University semi-hardball rookie Hokuto gets a taste of professional baseball in his first appearance.](https://hochi.news/images/2026/07/04/20260704-OHT1I51236-L.jpg)
![[“L-train” interior advertisements taken over!] Today's Pacific League [August 17th]](https://media.insight.pacificleague.com/webp/vS6BfDW9xNZP7bqTCnJBJHtp9Fa83LdhkvOHzYHF.webp)
