Overview
- Nippon Life advanced with a one‑run semifinal win on Nov. 11 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, securing its first final berth in five tournaments.
- Rookie Yamato Nakatsu opened the scoring with a two‑run homer in the third, drawing postgame praise from manager Shigeo Kajita.
- NTT West twice erased two‑run deficits via Yuki Tsujimoto’s two‑RBI single in the sixth and a tying hit by Fujii in the seventh.
- The go‑ahead sequence in the eighth followed a defensive error and a steal by Kenta Yamada, which Kajita said was the player’s own call despite appearing risky.
- NTT West’s Shuto Naruse, a DeNA fifth‑round draftee, went 1‑for‑5 and committed the eighth‑inning miscue that preceded the decisive run, later expressing gratitude to teammates; Nippon Life plays the winner of NTT East vs. Yamaha in the Nov. 12 final.