Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ace Tadashi Settsu repeatedly pitched his way out of trouble to go seven innings and earn the win in a 10-1 rout of the Seibu Lions on Thursday.
Mixing his fastball, sinker and curve, Settsu (9-5) allowed just a run on five hits and four walks. The right-hander struck out three in a 115-pitch effort that started after he was already leading 5-0.
For the second straight night, the Hawks batted around in the first inning at Seibu Prince Dome.