Softbank Wins Another Nail-biter, Edges Lotte 2-1

Once again flexing their pitching muscle, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks improved to 5-0 on the young season behind a sparkling performance from young southpaw Kenji Ohtonari and some more late-inning heroics.

Ohtonari spun the first complete game of his career, striking out 12 and walking only one over 124 pitches. The only damage came from Lotte shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who scored an RBI double after a pair of singles to make it 1-0.

However, Softbank seems to have a flair for the dramatic so far this season, and they once again nudged ahead. Shorato Ide scored an RBI single in the 7th, then young 2nd baseman Yuichi Honda knocked in what proved to be the game-winning run.

The Hawks seem to be absorbing the injuries to Saitoh and Wada very well so far, with back-to-back complete game efforts from Ohba and Ohtonari. Even the bullpen seems to be holding it together without Mahara, but it's very easy to do that when your starters chew up innings like Softbank's have.