The invitation ticket for the Japan Series had been delivered before the game was officially over.
Hawks closer Takahiro Mahara got three outs in the top of the 12th inning with the score tied 1-1, and at that moment, the two-time reigning Pacific League champion Fukuoka Softbank clinched its first NPB Fall Classic berth since 2003 in Game 3 of the PL Climax Series final stage on Saturday afternoon.
Since the rules limit the games to 12 innings in the CS, when the Seibu Lions failed to score a run in the top of the final frame, the Hawks clinched the series.