The SoftBank Hawks captured their first Pacific League title in four years with a decisive 9-4 win over the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka. This victory, combined with a loss by the second-place Nippon Ham Fighters, secured the Hawks’ 22nd Pacific League crown. The achievement is particularly notable as it comes in the debut year of manager Hiroki Kokubo, a former Hawks star, deepening the sense of local pride.
Kokubo praised his players for their dedication throughout the season, expressing joy in leading the team to this triumph. Rookie Yuto Kawamura was a standout, driving in two runs and scoring two more, including a key RBI single that tied the game in the fourth inning. Ukyo Shuto’s two-run triple then gave the Hawks the lead, and they never looked back, adding three more runs in the fifth inning to secure the win. Source: SoftBank Hawks
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