Yudai Shoji Delivers in 11th as SoftBank Hawks Win Japan Series Opener
Yudai Shoji hit a go-ahead 11th-inning double as the SoftBank Hawks beat DeNA 3-1 in Japan Series Game 1 on October 24, 2026.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 1 min read 
YOKOHAMA, Japan — Yudai Shoji doubled home the go-ahead run in the 11th inning as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks beat the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 3-1 at Yokohama Stadium on Saturday, October 24, taking a 1-0 lead in the 2026 Japan Series.
The 24-year-old shortstop, already a breakout performer in SoftBank’s playoff run, supplied the decisive swing after DeNA captain Shugo Maki had tied the game with a solo home run in the eighth. Tatsuru Yanagimachi added a sacrifice fly in the 11th to give the Hawks a two-run cushion.
Shoji breaks a late deadlock
The opening game was a pitchers’ duel for six innings. SoftBank starter Naoyuki Uwasawa escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first and completed seven scoreless innings. DeNA right-hander Yutaro Ishida kept the Hawks off the board until the seventh.
Taisei Makihara singled to open that inning and catcher Yudai Yamamoto followed with a double. With runners at second and third and nobody out, Shoji’s groundout brought Makihara home for the game’s first run.
DeNA answered an inning later when Maki homered off reliever Yuki Matsumoto, wiping out Uwasawa’s lead and sending the contest toward extra innings. Neither team could find another run until SoftBank put two aboard with one out in the 11th. Shoji drove a double over the left fielder to restore the advantage, and Yanagimachi’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1.
Another big moment for SoftBank’s postseason breakout
Shoji’s contribution extended a remarkable October. The second-year infielder was named MVP of the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage after collecting five hits in 11 at-bats, a .455 average, across three games against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
His latest hit came in a championship rematch loaded with recent history. DeNA overturned a two-game deficit to beat SoftBank in the 2024 Japan Series, but the Hawks now hold the early edge in their pursuit of another Japanese title.
Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday, October 25, at Yokohama Stadium. SoftBank needs three more wins to claim the best-of-seven series.
