[JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Shuta Ishikawa Achieves Goal of Throwing a No-Hitter

The Hawks defeated the Lions 8-0.

SoftBank jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning, giving Ishikawa more than enough run support on a night when he was at the top of his game.

In the seventh inning, Hawks third baseman Ryoya Kurihara helped keep the no-hitter alive with two strong defensive plays ― back-to-back grounders to open the inning.

Ishikawa wrapped up his no-hitter by getting Lions designated hitter Takeya Nakamura to ground out to Hawks first baseman Akira Nakamura.

Shuta Ishikawa Looks Back at His No-Hitter

After SoftBank's joyous celebration on its home field, Ishikawa shared some insights about his general approach to pitching.

"Every time I take to the mound, I think about a no-hitter and then give up a hit in the first inning," Ishikawa said, according to Kyodo News. "As a result, I tend to just think about one batter after the next. So at the end, I was like that, and maybe not that conscious of it being a no-hitter."

Ishikawa acknowledged that the no-hitter was a team effort.

"I didn't think I would be able to achieve this," Ishikawa was quoted as saying by Kyodo News. "But I had some luck and the fielders got the outs, and I'm grateful to them."

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