On 17 April, the third round match between Fukuoka Softbank and Tohoku Rakuten was played in MIZUHO PayPay Dome, where Tohoku Rakuten win 4-3.

Tohoku Rakuten started Takayuki Kishi pitcher. In the first inning, the leadoff Ukyo Shuto loaded the bases with no outs on hit and stolen base, but he struck out the next three batters to end the inning with no runs. He didn't give up a run in the second inning or later, pitch didn't give up a run until the fifth inning, when he was hit runs scoreless. But in the bottom of the sixth, with Walk and hit on first and second with two outs, Akira Nakamura was hit by a three-run single.

The offense put runner in scoring position in the top of the fourth and fifth, but was scoreless. They struggled to pitcher until the seventh inning, but in the top of the eighth, they scored one run on an RBI doble by Daichi Suzuki. Then, in the top of the ninth, Yoshiaki Watanabe led off the inning with a doble single, followed by a two-run single by Itsuki Murabayashi to tie the game. Then, with one out and the bases loaded, Hideto Asamura scored on an RBI triple.

In the bottom of the ninth inning with a one-run lead, Takahiro Norimoto pitcher was pinch-hit with two outs and the bases loaded Hotaka Yamakawa He struck out a player to end the game. Tohoku Rakuten win starter pitcher Kishi threw 108 pitches in 5.2 innings hit 2 Walk 8 strike out 3 runs. Daichi Suzuki players had 2 hit 1 RBI and Kohiro Komori had their first hit as professionals.

In the loss, Fukuoka Softbank Jun Maeda pitcher threw 101 pitches in six innings, allowing 4 hit 2 Walk 5 strike out runs but the relievers couldn't protect the lead. Nakamura had a 3-hit 3-RBI and Ryoya Kurihara had his first hit of the season in his first game back in the lineup.

123456789 total
Easy 000000013 4
SO 000003000 3

Takayuki Kishi-Ren Kajiya-Masaya Nishigaki- Tomohi Tomotaka Matsui-Takahiro Norimoto
Jun Jun Maeda-Kazuki Sugiyama-Yuki Matsumoto- ● Osuna

Text by Aoi Yokoyama

・ Match details/video