Softbank Hawks in driver seat after close third win.

The Softbank Hawks are one win away from sweeping the DeNA BayStars in the Nippon Series. Three runs were enough for the team from Fukuoka to beat the opponent from Yokohama as they the BayStars 3-2. 

Yuki Yanagita opened the score for the Softbank Hawks in the first inning. After getting on base on a single, he stole second base and was bunted over to third base by Kenta Imamiya. A double hit by Seiichi Uchikawa, eventually drove in Yanagita for the opening run.

Three innings later, Hiroaki Takaya singled to center field to drive in runners from third and second to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead. That third run appeared to be an insurance run as the BayStars managed to score two runs in the game.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, a solo home run to left field, hit by Jose Lopez, put Yokohama on the board. In the sixth inning, the BayStars loaded the bases. With two outs, Toshihiko Kuramoto singled to drive in the second run for the BayStars, but from there the offense stalled for both teams.

The pitching on both sides did a good job. Starting pitcher for the Hawks, Shota Takeda, lasted only 4.1 innings and gave up one run. His successor, Shuta Ishikawa pitched one inning for the win as he gave up one run on one hit and a walk. Dennis Safate earned teh save. He shut the door for the BayStars in the ninth as he retired the side with a strikeout.

The starting pitcher of the BayStars, Joe Wieland, lasted 5.1 innings. Wieland gave up all the runs the Hawks scored in this game. 

Seiichi Uchikawa was the best hitter for the Softbank Hawks. In four at-bats, he collected two hits of which one was an RBI double.

If the Softbank Hawks will win tomorrow, the team will clinch its eighth NPB championship and its third in four years. Two of the championships were clinched under the name Nankai Hawks (1959 and 1964), two under the name Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (1999 and 2003) and three under the current name (2011, 2014 and 2015).