◇ Fukuoka Softbank vs Orix Buffaloes 9th Round (24th, MIZUHO PayPay Dome)

Fukuoka Softbank Tomoya Masaki player hit the opening solo home run of his eighth homer.

He started as the leadoff hitter first baseman. In the first inning, he caught the breaking ball floating high in the air from the opposing starter Daiki Tajima pitcher. The ball is hit to the leadoff hitter Home Run near the left pole. It was the opening goal that gave the team momentum.

Masaki is getting the most frequent use of the team. In the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham game on the 20th, he led the lineup with 3 hit 1 RBI, including a single homer. This Home Run also surpassed the 7 Home Run marked in 2024, setting a new career high.

◇ Comment from Masaki
"The one who hit was cutter. After conceding the opening goal yesterday, the momentum worsened, so today I entered the game determined to score the opening goal. In that context, I focused solely on swinging boldly and was able to finish first baseman strike. Today, I want to contribute to scoring so we can take the win."

Text by Aoi Nishijima