Rakuten Monkeys' Masayuki Umemoto Heats Up with 4 Hits and 5 RBIs to Defeat TSG Hawks

(Taipei, April 17 — Reporter Su Chih-yu) Rakuten Monkeys outfielder Masayuki Umemoto rediscovered his early-season form today, going 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs, including two game-tying hits and a go-ahead single in the top of the 10th inning, helping his team defeat the TSG Hawks 9-7 in extra innings.

Umemoto's first hit in the top of the 2nd inning tied the game at 1-1. In the 4th, he delivered an RBI double to narrow the deficit to 2-3. He tied the game again with a hit in the 6th, and teammate Cheng Chin followed with a two-run double to take a 4-3 lead—only for the Hawks to respond and level the score in the bottom of the 6th.

The Monkeys added two more runs in the 7th, but their bullpen faltered in the 7th and 8th innings, allowing the Hawks to tie it again at 6-6. In the top of the 10th with one out and runners on second and third, Umemoto delivered a two-RBI single. A subsequent teammate's hit brought in the third run of the inning. The Monkeys allowed just one run in the bottom half to secure the win.

After hitting his first career home run on April 10, Umemoto showed initial promise but slumped in late April, hovering around a .200 batting average. Today’s 4-for-5 performance tied his career high in hits and set a new personal record in RBIs. His season batting average has now risen to .213. (Edited by Hsiao Po-wen) 1150617