Baseball: Mannami, Kamikawabata punch Fighters past Marines

Chusei Mannami and Daigo Kamikawabata each drove in two runs as the Nippon Ham Fighters came from behind Tuesday to earn a 6-5 Pacific League victory over the Lotte Marines.

Trailing by a run in the fifth inning at Nippon Ham's Es Con Field Hokkaido, Mannami's second hit of the game off Yuji Nishino (8-3) tied the game 3-3.

"It was kind of a lucky hit off the end of the bat, but whatever works if it gets us a run," Mannami said.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Kamikawabata singled in two to break the tie.

Mannami, whose first two singles came on poorly struck balls, ripped a seventh-inning single to make it 6-4. The insurance run allowed Nippon Ham closer Seigi Tanaka to record his 20th save despite surrendering a ninth-inning home run.

Fighters lefty Takayuki Kato (6-8) allowed three runs, one earned, in 5-2/3 innings to collect the win.

Elsewhere, the Rakuten Eagles beat the Seibu Lions 5-3. In the Central League, the DeNA BayStars hit five home runs in a 9-3 demolition of the Yakult Swallows.

© Kyodo News