WARRIORS overcame tough conditions to return to the Tamworth Baseball Association A grade winners circle on Saturday.
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Playing off against the Gunnedah Giants at Tamworth's Field of Dreams, the Warriors shot out to an early lead.
Up against Giants starting pitcher Luke Hawkins, hits from Noah Warren, Andy Bello and Nathan Handsaker helped drive home four runs for the Warriors in the first inning.
The under-strength Giants then hit back with Grant Sipple and Matt Withers both reaching home.
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However, the game then took a turn when Warriors' outfielder Alexis Rivers broke his leg attempting a slide into second base.
Rivers was taken to hospital in an ambulance and later had surgery on a broken fibula.
An in-the-park home run from Handsaker helped the Warriors get back on track after the break in play as the home side put on the five runs in the fourth inning.
Just as the Warriors looked like they would record a big victory, the Giants mounted a spirited comeback to fall one run short with the Warriors hanging on for a 9-8 victory.
Earlier in the day, the Warriors B grade side also tasted success, accounting for the Pandas 18-10.
The tone was set early with the Warriors scoring seven runs in the first inning.
The mother-daughter relief pitching duo of Leannda and Zoe Green, the Pandas best players on the day, helped rein in the Warrriors run-flow.
But the Panda resurgence was left too late.
Meanwhile, the Cougars claimed top spot on the A grade ladder after claiming a vital win on the road against the Armidale Outlaws.
The Outlaws started well scoring three runs early on the back of hits from Paul Wright, Sam McKay, and Brad Smith.
Cougars then replied in the second innings, scoring two runs after hits from Josh Daley, Scott Hurn and Brian Hopton.
After the Outlaws regained the lead, Cougars pitcher Kris Bird settled in at the mound resulting in the Outlaws being unsuccessful in scoring any further runs during his six-innings pitching stint.
In the fourth inning, Cougars put on a powerful hitting display with doubles to Aiden Lee and Richard Bullock and single hits to Andrew Ferris, Kris Bird resulting in 7 runs being scored.
The runs sealed the lead for the Cougars and they never looked back, running out 16-6 when time and game was called.
Earlier in the day the Outlaws and Cougars played out a thriller in B grade, with the Cougars claiming an 11-10 victory.
Sam McKay was named the Outlaws best on the day with one hit, while Ben Ridgewell threw 32 strikes and had one hit for the Cougars.