◇ Saitama Seibu vs Hokkaido Nippon-Ham first game (28th, Belluna Dome)

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 's Kotaro Kiyomiya hit the first solo home run, giving the team the lead.

Kiyomiya started as the second batter and third baseman. He struck out in both his first and second at-bats against the opposing starting pitcher, Tatsuya Imai. However, in the top of the seventh inning, when he came up to bat first, he handled a low inside fastball well and hit it into the right field stands.

With this first solo home run, the team took the lead. He supported pitcher Shoma Kanemura, who has been pitching well. He will lead the batting lineup from the start of the season, aiming for the league championship that was not achieved last season.

Text by Hiroki Yashima

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