CHIBA, Japan (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth Pacific League contest defined by a massive early inning and a dominant individual performance, the Chiba Lotte Marines outslugged the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 9-7 on Wednesday evening at a damp Chiba Marine Stadium. The game, played before a crowd of 24,393, was called after eight innings due to unplayable field conditions following persistent rain, handing Lotte a crucial victory that defied pregame projections.

Interstat’s game simulator had heavily favored the Fighters, projecting a 5-1 win and giving Nippon-Ham a 63.2% probability of victory. Instead, the Marines’ offense, spearheaded by a historic night from left fielder Misho Nishikawa, erupted for 13 hits to overcome an early five-run deficit and snap a three-game losing streak in the head-to-head series.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the third inning, immediately after Nippon-Ham had seized control. The Fighters had battered Lotte starter Shuta Takano in the top half of the frame, sending 10 men to the plate. Taiki Narama launched a two-run homer to left-center, and Yushi Shimizu later cleared the bases with a two-run double, part of a five-run outburst that gave Nippon-Ham a commanding 5-2 lead.

The momentum was short-lived. In the bottom of the inning, Lotte’s Ryusei Ogawa and Kyota Fujiwara led off with singles against Fighters starter Takayuki Katoh. That brought Nishikawa to the plate. On a 1-1 offering, Nishikawa crushed a Katoh fastball deep to right-center field for a three-run home run, instantly slicing the Fighters’ lead to 5-5 and electrifying the home crowd. The swing completely recalibrated the contest, erasing the hard-earned Fighters’ advantage in a matter of minutes.

Nishikawa was far from done. His third-inning blast was merely the centerpiece of a perfect 4-for-4, five-RBI night. An inning later, with two outs and a runner on, he doubled to right-center to drive in Fujiwara, giving Lotte its first lead at 6-5. He would add another single in the seventh and, in a bizarre but decisive eighth inning, was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Lotte’s ninth and final run.

The Marines added to their lead in the fourth, with Fujiwara delivering a two-out, two-run single ahead of Nishikawa’s go-ahead double. Nippon-Ham chipped away with solo home runs from Chusei Mannami in the fifth and Franmil Reyes in the seventh, pulling to within 8-7, but could never draw even again.

The Fighters, who managed only six hits total, squandered a key opportunity in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Tatsuki Mizuno doubled and Rodolfo Castro walked, bringing the potential go-ahead run to the plate in Narama. Lotte reliever Rikuto Yokoyama, however, struck out Narama swinging to end the threat.

The bottom of the eighth proved final. After loading the bases with one out, Lotte saw Kyota Fujiwara pop out. With two outs, Fighters reliever Hiroya Shimamoto hit Nishikawa, forcing in an insurance run. The inning ended there, and after a delay, the game was officially called before the ninth could begin, as the rain-soaked field was deemed unfit.

Lotte’s bullpen was instrumental in the win. After Takano and Akira Yagi struggled early, the combination of Yokoyama, Koji Fukutani, Taisho Tamai, and closer Shota Suzuki provided critical stability. Yagi (1-0) was credited with the win despite allowing a run over two innings, while Suzuki pitched a perfect ninth for his first save. Katoh (2-1) took the loss for Nippon-Ham, battered for eight runs on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings.

The victory improves Lotte’s record across all competitions to 6-11, offering a measure of hope after a difficult start. The Marines had lost seven of their last eight entering the game. Nippon-Ham, which had won three of its last four, sees its record level at 8-8. The two teams are scheduled to conclude their series on Thursday at the same venue, weather permitting.