The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks came from behind for the second straight day Sunday to defeat the Chiba Lotte Marines 4-1 and win the best-of-three first stage of the Pacific League Climax Series.
The Hawks, who finished in second place in the PL this season, made it to the series' final stage for the third straight year and will meet the league champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters at Sapporo Dome starting next Wednesday.
Third-place Lotte got on the scoreboard first with Ikuhiro Kiyota's solo homer in the first, but Kenji Akashi tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the fourth and Yuichi Honda drove in a run in the next inning to put the Hawks ahead.
Kenta Imamiya added two more runs with a hit to left with the bases loaded in the eighth.
Rick van den Hurk (1-0) held the Marines to one run on five hits while striking out six over as many innings, while relievers Sho Iwasaki and Robert Suarez and closer Dennis Sarfate each threw a perfect inning.
Lotte starter Ayumu Ishikawa (0-1) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits and four walks in 5-1/3 innings.
