Softbank 5-3 Lotte (6th)
Lotte’s Roki Sasaki (Ofunato High School)’s fourth win has disappeared, but he won the fight with Japanese ace Kodai Senga. During the 3rd consecutive win, the Softbank Hawks on the wave were hit 6 times, 6 hits and 1 run, and 11 strikeouts including 4 consecutive strikeouts.
A different dimension of pitcher battle where both pitchers exceed 160 kilometers. Roki Sasaki allowed the first goal with a double double to the right middle in the 4th inning, but the young golden battery who achieved the perfect game clearly changed the ball distribution from the 5th inning. He struck out with a 120-kilometer curve and a 140-kilometer slider, which he hadn’t thrown so far, and struck out a straight ball with three consecutive strikeouts.
Lotte batting line is the back, 3-1 and reverse. Naoya Masuda, the guardian deity, took a tie-breaking two runs in the ninth inning just before the victory, and the white star with a uniform number of 17 disappeared.
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For details, please see the Iwate Nippo main paper dated May 7.