Julio Zuleta, Naoyuki Omura and Nobuhiko Matsunaka homered and combined for six RBIs Sunday as the Softbank Hawks overpowered the Lotte Marines 9-7 to start the season by sweeping a two-game series against the Japan Series champions.
Toshiaki Imae of the Chiba Lotte Marines belts a three-run homer against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks at Yahoo Dome.
After Zuleta and Toshiaki Imae hit three-run homers, Omura broke a 3-3 tie with a two-out solo drive before Jolbert Cabrera added an RBI single and Matsunaka capped a four-run second with a two-run blast into the right-field seats at Yahoo Dome.
Lotte pulled within two runs in the ninth on a Tetsuya Kakiuchi three-run homer after Softbank made it 8-3 and 9-4. But closer Takahiro Mahara retired the three batters he faced to earn the save.