FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — In a tense pitchers’ duel that defied pregame projections, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles edged the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3-2 on Wednesday night, securing their second consecutive one-run victory in this series at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome.

A crowd of 38,057 watched as the Golden Eagles, cast as significant underdogs, used timely hitting and a masterful performance from starter Tatsuki Koja to hand the Hawks their second straight loss and even the season series between the Pacific League rivals.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a high-scoring 6-5 SoftBank victory, with the Hawks given a 67.6 percent probability to win. The reality was a crisp, low-scoring affair that lasted 3 hours, 17 minutes and saw the teams combine for just 12 hits, with the total runs falling well under the over/under line of 7.5.

The most important sequence of the game came in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Rakuten clinging to a 2-1 lead. Koja, who had been brilliant, began to falter. He walked Hotaka Yamakawa and allowed a single to Taisei Makihara, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base with no outs. Rakuten manager Kazuhisa Ishii summoned reliever Sora Suzuki, who promptly allowed a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners into scoring position.

Akira Nakamura then hit a grounder to second, which resulted in a fielder’s choice as Yamakawa scored to tie the game 2-2. However, the play also recorded the first out, preventing a bigger inning. Suzuki then struck out Kenta Imamiya to end the threat, preserving the tie and setting the stage for Rakuten’s immediate response.

That response was swift and decisive. In the top of the eighth, with two outs and nobody on, Rakuten shortstop Itsuki Murabayashi turned on a pitch from SoftBank reliever Shuto Ogata and launched a solo home run to left field. The blast broke the deadlock and proved to be the game-winning hit. Ogata was charged with the loss, falling to 0-1.

The Golden Eagles had struck first in the opening inning. After two quick outs, Ryosuke Tatsumi worked a walk and scored on Fumiya Kurokawa’s double to right-center field. They added a critical insurance run in the fifth when Yukiya Itoh led off with a double, was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Tatsumi’s two-out single to shallow right, making it 2-0.

SoftBank chipped away against Koja. They got a run back in the fourth when Kensuke Kondoh singled, stole second, and scored on Yamakawa’s two-out single. That was all they could muster against the Rakuten ace, who delivered a stellar line: 6 1/3 innings pitched, four hits, two earned runs and six strikeouts. Koja, named the top star for Rakuten, continued an impressive run following a complete-game, one-hit loss on April 8.

After Suzuki navigated the seventh-inning trouble, Chia-Hao Sung entered and recorded the final two outs of the frame to earn the win, improving to 2-0. Masaya Nishigaki handled a scoreless eighth before handing the ball to closer Shoma Fujihira in the ninth.

Fujihira, who notched his fifth save, allowed a two-out single to Makihara but ended the game by striking out Ukyo Shuto swinging, sealing the victory for the visitors.

SoftBank starter Tomohisa Ohzeki was solid in defeat, allowing two runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings, striking out four. The Hawks bullpen, aside from Ogata’s mistake to Murabayashi, was perfect, with Yusuke Itoh and Darwinzon Hernandez combining for two hitless innings.

With the win, Rakuten improved its season record to 9-6-1, while SoftBank fell to 10-6-1. The two teams conclude their three-game series on Thursday night in Fukuoka before both embark on new series this weekend. Rakuten returns home to face the Chiba Lotte Marines, while the Hawks host the Orix Buffaloes.