YOKOHAMA, Japan (Interstat) — Shugo Maki homered twice for the Yokohama BayStars but the Hiroshima Carp scored twice in the ninth inning to force a 3-3 tie Thursday night, and the game was called after 12 innings under Nippon Professional Baseball rules.

The game at Yokohama Stadium lasted 5 hours, 21 minutes before a crowd of 30,389. Hiroshima’s record moved to 27-39-4, while Yokohama fell to 27-42-4.

Hiroshima struck first in the top of the first inning against BayStars starter Kentaro Taira. Norihiko Nabara grounded out to shortstop to start the inning, but Minoru Ohmori singled to shallow center and Ryosuke Kikuchi followed with a single to shallow right. Shogo Sakakura grounded out to first base, but Ohmori scored from third to give the Carp a 1-0 lead. Kaito Kozono flied out to shortstop to end the inning, but Hiroshima had the early advantage.

The Carp looked to extend the lead in the second. Keisuke Sato singled to shallow left, and Tai Sasaki grounded out to move Sato to second. Tomoki Ishihara singled to shallow left, putting runners on first and third with one out, but Masato Morishita grounded out to third and Nabara struck out swinging to end the threat.

Yokohama responded in the bottom of the second. After Toshiro Miyazaki struck out looking, Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh doubled to center. Shion Matsuo struck out swinging, but Kouki Kajiwara doubled to right-center, scoring Tsutsugoh and cutting the lead to 1-1. Taiki Ishikami was intentionally walked, and Taira walked to load the bases, but Atsushi Katsumata flied out to left to leave the bases loaded.

The BayStars took the lead in the third. Maki led off with a solo home run to center field, his first of the night, making it 2-1. Jerar Encarnacion lined out to third, Miyazaki flied out to left, and Tsutsugoh walked but Matsuo grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hiroshima threatened in the fourth. Sasaki singled to shallow left, and Ishihara grounded out to catcher as Sasaki moved to second. Morishita sacrificed Sasaki to third, but Nabara grounded out to shortstop to strand the runner.

Yokohama added to its lead in the fifth. Maki led off again with a solo home run, this time to left field, making it 3-1. Encarnacion flied out to right, Miyazaki struck out swinging, and Tsutsugoh struck out looking to end the inning.

Both teams struggled to generate offense over the next few innings. Hiroshima had a baserunner in the sixth when Kozono reached on an error, but Keisuke Sato grounded into a double play. Sasaki singled with two outs but was stranded.

Yokohama also had chances. In the sixth, Matsuo singled to shallow right, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kajiwara, advanced to third on a groundout by Ishikami, but Keita Sano walked and Katsumata flied out to left. In the seventh, Maki walked, Encarnacion singled to shallow left, but Miyazaki flied out to center and Tsutsugoh flied out to right. Matsuo singled to shallow center to load the bases, but pinch hitter Ryuki Watarai popped out to shortstop to end the inning.

Hiroshima appeared to be fading until the ninth inning. Taira had pitched five strong innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits while striking out four, but he had been replaced by the bullpen. With the Carp trailing 3-1, Sasaki led off the top of the ninth with a walk. Sandro Fabian walked, and Takayoshi Noma walked to load the bases with no outs. Nabara hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Sasaki to make it 3-2. Ohmori then singled to shallow center, scoring Fabian to tie the game at 3-3. Kikuchi flied out to left, and Sakakura grounded out to first to end the inning, but the Carp had erased the two-run deficit.

The BayStars had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Maki walked, and Tatsuo Ebina was intentionally walked. Kazuki Kamizato struck out on a failed bunt attempt, Tsutsugoh flied out to shortstop, and Matsuo grounded out to third to send the game to extra innings.

Neither team could push across a run in the 10th, 11th or 12th innings. In the top of the 10th, Kozono singled to shallow center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taiki Mochimaru, but Seita Maekawa flied out to right. Masaya Yano walked and stole second, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Noma grounded out to second. In the bottom of the 10th, Kajiwara grounded out, Ishikami singled to second, and a bunt by Tatsuhiro Shibata resulted in an error, but Asahi Miyashita struck out swinging and Masaki Mimori struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the 11th, Hiroshima went down in order as Nabara struck out, Ohmori flied out, and Kikuchi struck out. Yokohama also failed to score: Ebina flied out, Kamiyato grounded out, and Tsutsugoh singled to right but Matsuo grounded out to shortstop.

In the 12th, Sakakura grounded out, Kozono struck out, and Mochimaru singled to shallow right. Shoichi Futamata doubled to right, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Yano grounded out to second. Yokohama had one last chance in the bottom of the 12th. Kajiwara walked, Ishikami sacrificed him to second, Shibata struck out looking, and Yasutaka Tobashira grounded out to second to end the game.

Maki finished 2-for-3 with two home runs and two RBIs for Yokohama. Taira threw five innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits with four strikeouts. For Hiroshima, Morishita pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.

Hiroshima’s bullpen was effective in extra innings. Sotaro Shimauchi, Taichi Taka, Atsushi Endoh, Daisuke Moriura and Taylor Hearn each threw one scoreless inning, combining to allow two hits with five strikeouts. Yokohama’s Koh Nakagawa also threw a scoreless inning, and Hiromu Ise had a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

The game was the second of a two-game series at Yokohama Stadium. Hiroshima won the opener 7-4 on Tuesday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Hiroshima 4, Yokohama 2. Interstat’s ELO system gave Yokohama a 57.40 percent probability to win. Hiroshima was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 3 went over the over-under line of 6.5.