In what has almost become a rite of fall, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks paraded around a field with a banner in tow in celebration of a championship.
This latest triumph came after the Hawks wrapped up the Pacific League Climax Series in emphatic fashion on Sunday afternoon in Fukuoka. With star outfielder and MVP candidate Yuki Yanagita back in the lineup, SoftBank bounced the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles out of the final stage with a series-clinching 7-0 win in Game 5. After dropping the first two games of the series, the PL champion Hawks shook off the cobwebs, having gone from Oct. 8-18 without playing, to win three straight over the plucky third-place Eagles. The Hawks began the series with a one-win advantage as the pennant winner and won the final stage 4-2.
"I'm sure a lot of people counted us out after those first two games," closer Dennis Sarfate said during the team's victory news conference after the game. "I knew if we could just get some runs and keep the lead, we were going to be fine. And here we are, champions."