Pinch hitter Tetsuya Kakiuchi stroked a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning as the Seibu Lions edged the Daiei Hawks 3-2 at the Seibu Dome on Tuesday to grab sole possession of first place in the Pacific League standings, one game ahead of the Hawks.
With the score tied 2-2 in the seventh, Taisei Takagi, who went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the third, hit a double to right-center field with two out. Kakiuchi then nocked Takagi home.
Lions starter Takashi Ishii (8-4) scattered seven hits and allowed two runs over 7 1/3 innings for the win.