Rookie right-hander Shoma Fujihira allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles snapped an 11-game winless streak with a 6-1 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Tuesday.
Fujihira challenged batters with a fastball that climbed just above 140 kph. But what the 18-year-old lacked in velocity, he made up in daring and execution.
"We were in a losing streak and my focus was on not allowing runs," said Fujihira, who didn't yield a hit through his first six innings. "I thought about that (a no-hitter) but the most important things was keeping them scoreless, so I just kept my focus on (catcher Motohiro) Shima's mitt."