◇ Seibu Lions vs. Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, Game 24 (27th, Belluna Dome)

Seibu Lions' Kazunari Ishii hit his 7th solo Home Run.

The Seibu Lions lineup had been struggling against the opponent's starting pitcher, Takahisa Hayakawa, with only one hit through four innings. In the bottom of the 5th inning trailing by two runs, Ishii stepped into the batter's box with one out and no runners. On a full count, he caught a curveball that hung over the plate, sending the ball straight into the right-center stands. It was his first Home Run in about a month and a half since August 14th, bringing the team within one run.

Ishii had been removed from the roster in mid-August due to poor physical condition but returned to the first team on the 25th of this month. With this Home Run, he has recorded an RBI in three consecutive games since his promotion. Furthermore, in the game against the Chiba Lotte Marines on the 26th, he hit a game-tying RBI triple in the bottom of the 9th, becoming one of the key figures in the dramatic walk-off win, contributing significantly to the team with his bat.

◇ Ishii's Comment
"The pitch I hit was a curveball. I went to the plate with the intention of getting on base. Swinging compactly led to a good result. I'll do my best next time!"