Seldom-used utility infielder Koki Yamashita lifted the Yokohama BayStars to a 4-3, 10th-inning, walk-off win against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Thursday, singling in the winning run in his first at-bat of the season.
Yamashita, a fifth-round pick by the BayStars in 2014, had batted just 161 times in three pro seasons. He entered the game as a defensive replacement. With two outs and an 0-2 count against lefty Yuki Matsui, Yamashita's fly to right got over the head of right fielder Carlos Peguero and scored Masayuki Kuwahara from second.
"Up to this point, I've only been a burden to the team," Yamashita said. "Last year was so hard, that I vowed to do well this year. Now that I have, I'm so happy."