Pacific League: Orix Buffaloes 7-6 Lotte (5th, Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Orix Buffaloes Ryoma Ikeda outfielder (23) was burning with passion. "I'm definitely going to get them back," he thought. In his second start of the season, he was retired in his first two at-bats. The chance for revenge came in the sixth inning while trailing by one run. With one out and a runner on first, he hit a game-tying RBI doble to left-center off Lotte's Kojima. "I was also pushed forward by the support of my juniors," he said, drawing strength from the performance of his alma mater Osaka Toin High School's brass band, who were in the stands for that day's collaboration cheering event.

In the last five games played in the farm league, he produced results with two Home Runs and was promoted for the second time on the 4th. What he feels he is 'gradually starting to understand' is the advice he received from Ota, a senior three years his elder who delivered the walk-off hit on this day. 'For a ball coming from the front, you just need to go and hit it from behind.' By striving to understand this and continuing to swing the bat, his bad habit of his hands coming out first and cutting the ball began to disappear.

"How long are you going to stay in the minors? Get up here quickly." Knowing his cheerful personality, the fact that he spurred him on served as support during his time on the farm team. "There's no point in overthinking things. Doing what needs to be done and working hard will lead to what comes next." Now in his fifth year as a pro, his goal of becoming a regular starter lies ahead, built upon the results he continues to accumulate. (Shunta Nambu)