Toshiaki Imae threw one fist in the air as his face lit up with the smile Chiba Lotte Marines fans have come to love over the years, and everyone else at QVC Marine Field, with the exception of the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, was probably smiling right along with him.
Imae hit a tiebreaking, three-run double in the third inning, and the Marines held on the rest of the way to beat the Hawks 5-2 on Saturday in front of a crowd of 21,038 on a mostly sunny afternoon in Chiba.
"I felt relaxed before I stepped in the batter's box," Imae said.