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NTT West Japan Reaches First Semifinal in 18 Tournaments With 13-Inning Walk-Off as Nippon Life Rolls Into Last Four

The latest results lock in an all-Kinki semifinal on Nov. 11.

Overview

  • NTT West Japan beat Honda Kumamoto 8–7 in a 13-inning tiebreaker, the tournament’s longest game and the fourth to go to extra innings.
  • Manager Kawamoto said he was relieved for the marathon to end, crediting persistent team communication for the win.
  • Pinch-hitter Dai Natsume delivered a ninth-inning tying RBI that kept NTT West Japan alive before the walk-off.
  • Nippon Life defeated Toho Gas 11–5 to reach the semifinals for the first time in two editions, following a 2023 last‑four berth.
  • The semifinal pairs NTT West Japan with Nippon Life on Nov. 11 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in a Kinki-region showdown, as Tokai teams had previously supplied four of the last eight.