With teams playing cautiously, postseason ball often tends to be an endurance contest.
On Wednesday night, it appeared that the Hawks would prevail at one point, but their opponents just refused to give in.
Yoshio Itoi launched a game-tying two-run homer and pinch hitter Tomohiro Nioka drove in a go-ahead run in the seventh inning as Hokkaido Nippon Ham edged the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 3-2 in Game 1 of the Pacific League Climax Series final stage.