Rookie Ryoto Kita of the Orix Buffaloes hits a home run in the team's Pacific League game against the Nippon Ham Fighters at Windhill East Hokkaido Stadium on July 13, 2021. (Kyodo)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Rookie Ryoto Kita became the first Nippon Professional Baseball player straight out of high school to hit a home run off the first pitch of his pro career, also going 3-for-3 on Tuesday to help the Pacific League-leading Orix Buffaloes beat the Nippon Ham Fighters 5-0.

       The outfielder, the Buffaloes' third draft pick last year, pulled an inside breaking ball from Takahide Ikeda (3-9) over the right-field fence at Windhill East Hokkaido Stadium in Kushiro, a two-run shot capping off a five-run first inning for the visitors.

       Kita singled to left and stole a base in the third and also had an infield single in the sixth during a memorial debut game.

       "I'd been told by the manager and coaches not to hold back so I took a full swing at it from the first pitch...it connected well and flew far," said Kita, who could recover the memorial ball.

       "I will give the ball to my parents," he said.

       The Buffaloes scored all the game's runs in the first off the struggling Ikeda. Shuhei Fukuda and Yuma Mune singled before Masataka Yoshida followed suit to plate the opening run before the right-hander loaded the bases by hitting cleanup Yutaro Sugimoto.

       Takahiro Okada's grounder to first should have resulted in a double play with just one run scored, but Ikeda spilled the ball in trying to complete the play and allowed another runner to come home before Kita went deep with one on and one out.

       While Ikeda lasted just one inning allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits and a hit batsman, Orix starter Hirotoshi Masui (3-5) threw six scoreless innings allowing three hits and walks each.

       Five Fighters relievers kept Orix off the board for the remaining eight innings but the home team's offense offered little help, managing just four hits in total from Masui and three Orix relievers as they saw their three-game winning run come to an end.

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