◇ Tohoku Rakuten Eagles vs Fukuoka Softbank 21st Round (19th, Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi)

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles's Itsuki Murabayashi contributed to the win with a performance of 2 hit and 3 RBI.

First, in the bottom of the 2nd inning, he stepped into the batter's box for his first at-bat with a runner on second and no outs following a doble by YG Yasuda. Facing the opponent's starter, pitcher Yugo Maeda, who had been on a roll with 12 consecutive wins since the start of the season, he caught a fastball on a 1-0 count. The ball flew over the second baseman's head, allowing YG Yasuda to step on home plate for the opening run.

Furthermore, in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Itsuki Murabayashi hit a sacrifice fly with one out and the bases loaded, and in the bottom of the 5th inning, he came to bat again in a scoring opportunity with one out and the bases loaded. In this situation, he skillfully hit Yugo Maeda pitcher's breaking ball in the opposite direction, leading to a valuable additional run. Although Itsuki Murabayashi had been struggling in September with a monthly batting average of .167 as of before the game, he showed signs of recovery in this match.

◇ Itsuki Murabayashi Comment (Bottom of the 2nd)
"The pitch I hit was a fastball. Since it was a scoring chance, I went to the plate thinking I had to get the opening run somehow. I'm glad it turned out to be a good result."

◇ Itsuki Murabayashi Comment (Bottom of the 5th)
"The pitch I hit was probably a change-up. Everyone set the stage for me in a good situation, so I'm glad I could get a hit. Since Hayakawa (Takahisa) is working hard, I will do my best to help him get the win."