◇ Saitama Seibu Lions vs Fukuoka Softbank 16th Round (25th, Belluna Dome)

​Fukuoka Softbank Tomoya Masaki player took the lead hitter home run.

His opponent was Natsuki Takeuchi pitcher. He skipped the close moments with the first and second pitches, resulting in a count with two balls and a hitter advantage. Then, on the third pitch, he boldly swung high fastball, and the ball went to center fielder. He went out of reach and jumped straight into the stands, marking the opening solo run of his 15th homer.

Masaki, who has set a new career high far surpassing his seven home runs in 2024, hit his fourth leadoff hitter home run this season. His batting average is approaching .300, showing excellent performance as a leadoff man.

◇ Comment from Masaki
"The ball I hit was fastball. It's a good pitcher, so I just went to bat actively swinging and creating chances. I thought scoring first was the key point, but I'm glad I got off to the best start with home run. I want to keep contributing to scoring and turning it into wins."

Text by Minagi Niwa