Overview

• Yamaha edged SUBARU 5–4 as left-hander Ren Sato completed the game despite a shaky ninth, preserving a five-run lead that shrank to one before the final strikeout.
• Oji routed JFE East Japan 9–1 behind 11 hits, including homers by Takeru Kandori and rookie Seito Shibasaki, to reach the last four for the first time in two years.
• Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki beat NTT West 3–0 on Sept. 5 with seven scoreless innings from Ryo Akiyama, who said the outing affirmed his return from 2023 Tommy John surgery.
• Nippon Life defeated Saginomiya 4–2 to complete the semifinal lineup; Oji will face Yamaha on Sept. 7 at Tokyo Dome.
• Beyond the corporate tournament, Japan’s U18 team opened with a 4–1 win over Italy and then handled a 157 km/h Korean starter more confidently, while Osaka police readied up to 1,000 officers for crowd control as Hanshin’s pennant clinch approached.