FUKUOKA, Japan (Interstat) — The Rakuten Golden Eagles edged the SoftBank Hawks 3-2 on Wednesday night at Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome, securing their second consecutive one-run victory in the series.

Tatsuki Koja delivered a key performance for Rakuten, allowing two runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. The Golden Eagles scored single runs in the first, fifth and eighth innings, with Itsuki Murabayashi providing a critical insurance run on a solo homer.

SoftBank’s Tomohisa Ohzeki pitched well in defeat, yielding two runs over 6 2/3 frames. The Hawks plated single runs in the fourth and seventh but left the potential tying run on base in the ninth.

Chia-Hao Sung earned the win in relief for Rakuten before Shoma Fujihira recorded his fifth save. A crowd of 38,057 watched the three-hour, 17-minute contest.