KYODO NEWS - Apr 16, 2017 - 18:07 | Sports, All

Hideto Asamura drove in five runs on Sunday to power the Seibu Lions to a 10-2 Pacific League win over the Lotte Marines.

Asamura had RBI doubles in the first two innings as the Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Yuki Karakawa (0-3). With the Lions leading 5-0 in the fifth in support of Brian Wolfe (3-0), Asamura singled in another run. He put the icing on the cake by singling in a run in the ninth to complete the scoring.

"I didn't hit the ball that well today, but I was able to find holes. That being said, my batting form has been good," said Asamura, who also drew a walk and flied out to end the Lions' two-run third.

"The atmosphere on the bench is great, and that makes it really easy to play ball."

Wolfe threw six scoreless innings. The right-hander allowed four hits and struck out two without issuing a walk. Karakawa, on the other hand, didn't make it out of the third inning, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks over 2-2/3 innings.

Hotaka Yamakawa, who hit 14 homers in 139 at-bats for the Lions last season, went deep for the first time this year and walked three times in five trips to the plate.

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Eagles 4, Fighters 3, 10 innings

At Kobo Park Miyagi, Hiroaki Shimauchi singled and scored his second run of the game in the 10th inning on pinch hitter Ryo Hijirisawa's walk-off RBI double as Rakuten beat Nippon Ham. Eagles closer Yuki Matsui (2-0) pitched a 1-2-3 10th inning to earn the win.

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Central League

BayStars 6, Swallows 3

At Yokohama Stadium, Phil Klein (2-0) allowed three runs in 5-1/3 innings and singled in two runs in the fourth as DeNA overcame a one-run deficit and went on to beat Yakult. The BayStars' Spencer Patton recorded his first save in Japan.

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Tigers 2, Carp 1

At Koshien Stadium, Fumihito Haraguchi hit Allen Kuri's 138th pitch for a tie-breaking, two-out, eighth-inning single as Hanshin defeated Hiroshima for the third time this season. The Carp failed to capitalize on early scoring opportunities and had just one base runner after the third inning. Kuri (2-1) allowed two runs in 7-2/3 innings.

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Giants 2, Dragons 0

At Nagoya Dome, Kan Otake (2-0) worked 6-2/3 innings, and four Yomiuri relievers completed the shutout win over Chunichi. Giants captain Hayato Sakamoto doubled and scored on Shinnosuke Abe's seventh-inning single to break the ice against Dragons ace Kazuki Yoshimi (0-3).