YOKOHAMA, Japan (Interstat) — In a contest that defied pregame projections, extra innings, and ultimately the rulebook itself, the Chunichi Dragons and Yokohama BayStars battled to a 6-6, 11-inning tie Wednesday night at Yokohama Stadium.

Under Nippon Professional Baseball regulations, which limit regular-season games to 12 innings, the marathon four-hour, 44-minute affair was declared a draw after the Dragons plated two runs in the top of the 11th only for the BayStars’ final rally to fall short in the bottom half. The announced crowd of 32,233 saw both teams’ records move to 3-8 across all competitions.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded in the eighth inning, transforming a pitchers’ duel into a late-inning thriller. Carrying a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, Chunichi saw Yokohama’s Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh lead off with a single, his third hit of the night. A walk and a groundout set the stage for Cooper Hummel, who delivered a two-run single to shallow right, giving the BayStars their first lead at 4-3 and erasing the work of Dragons starter Masaki Nakanishi.

Nakanishi, named the top star for Chunichi, had been brilliant over five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out seven. The only damage against him came via Tsutsugoh’s two-run homer to center field in the third inning.

The Dragons answered immediately in the top of the eighth. A leadoff walk to Orlando Calixte, a stolen base, and a two-out RBI single from Kaito Muramatsu knotted the score at 4-4, setting the stage for extra innings.

Both bullpens dominated the ninth and tenth frames. Chunichi’s Kento Fujishima, Kenshin Makino, and Akira Neo combined for three perfect innings of relief, with Neo striking out two in the tenth to earn the win, improving to 1-0. Yokohama’s Sean Reynolds and Teruki Yoshino were equally effective, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings to keep the game deadlocked.

The tiebreaker rule, which places runners on first and second to start each extra inning, came into play in the 11th. Chunichi’s Hiroki Fukunaga, who finished with three hits, began the inning with an automatic single. A sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk loaded the bases for Jason Vosler, whose infield single to first broke the tie. A second run scored on a subsequent fielder’s choice.

In the bottom of the 11th, facing Chunichi closer Shinya Matsuyama, Yokohama mounted a final threat. An error and a walk put the tying runs on base with one out, but Matsuyama induced a groundout and a flyout to center to strand the runners and secure his first save of the season, leaving the potential winning run at the plate.

The game began with fireworks as Chunichi’s Seiya Hosokawa launched a two-run homer to left field in the first inning off Yokohama starter Hansel Marcelino, who went two innings and allowed one earned run. The Dragons added a run in the sixth on a Muramatsu sacrifice fly.

Yuya Sakamoto took the loss for Yokohama, falling to 0-1 after surrendering the two decisive runs in the 11th.

The result was a statistical anomaly. Pregame projections heavily favored the BayStars, with Interstat’s ELO system giving them a 63.9 percent probability to win as a 1.5-run favorite. The simulator predicted a low-scoring 2-1 Chunichi victory. Instead, the teams combined for 10 runs, sailing over the 7.0 over/under line, but with no decisive winner.

The Dragons, who had lost 8 of their first 10 games, including a 5-3 decision to these same BayStars just a day earlier, showed resilience in salvaging the tie. Yokohama, despite the comeback, missed a chance to climb above .500 at home.

Chunichi opens a three-game series against the Hanshin Tigers at home on Friday. Yokohama will host the Hiroshima Toyo Carp for a three-game set beginning the same day.