Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks slugger Alfredo Despaigne stole the spotlight from a duel of big-name pitchers on Monday, homering twice to lead the Pacific League-leading SoftBank Hawks to a 6-3 win over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Despaigne capped the Hawks' three-run first inning with a two-run homer off lefty Mitsuo Yoshikawa at a sold-out Yafuoku Dome. The Cuban slugger mishit the ball and seemed as surprised as anyone when it landed just over the inner fence in right field.
"With a veteran like (Tsuyoshi) Wada on the mound for us, we all thought it was a game we could go out and win," Despaigne said. "I'm pretty happy I could contribute with that first home run, even if it barely got out."