HOT weather greeted softballers on Saturday for their first game back after the Christmas break.
Warriors have, for the first time this season, entered a winning streak by continuing their improved form into the new year, bolstered by their mascot Gary’s presence.
Warriors batted first against Concordes White, scoring five runs, with doubles to Linda Dodds and Kelly Doyle, Bec White zinging around the bases with yet another triple to her season tally and an RBI single to Melissa Chuck.
Erin Chaplin showed surprising stealth, sneaking around to second with her hit to score two.
She then played the team game backing up Warriors gun Sarah Polderman in the pitching duties.
Concordes White were not taking the Warriors lead lightly, scoring five of their own in the bottom half of the same innings.
The ever dangerous Rachel Bagshaw belted the ball to the fence for an in-the-park home run, to score lead-off Alli Wilson.
Concordes White hitters remained patient, Sam Brown, Kate Altschwager and Linley Pollard getting themselves on base to force a Warriors pitching change and three fielding clanges.
Polderman showed her class despite not meeting her own lofty standards with the ball and smashed a triple to right field at the top of the second innings.
After a walk to Dodds, Concordes pitcher Wilson was suddenly on top of the Warriors bats, with three outs in a row.
Chaplin decided to do similar, facing four batters and enjoying two textbook Polderman plays at shortstop and a catch to youngster Arrabelle Searle, who was by that time at centrefield, her third fielding position for the day.
Wilson again shut down the Warriors bats, helped by the latter hitting the ball to Bagshaw at shortstop, who pulled down an impressive catch off Chaplin’s bat.
Concordes piled on the hits in the third innings, with Pollard singling to left field before being thrown out at two when Searle made a heads-up play, fielding a shallow ball in centre.
The scoring continued with a Wilson single, scored on another long ball by Bagshaw, then not to be outdone, veteran Sam Brown crushed a pitch to centre field for a double, all with two outs for an 8-6 lead going into the fourth.
Warriors applied the pressure, Polderman nearly taking the glove off of Kylie Cook at third with a line drive, before being scored by a hard-hit Bec White ball and more heads-up Warriors base running.
Chuck singled, scoring Dodds, Doyle forced an error which scored White, then Jasmine Disselbach put the ball in play and made her way to third.
She then shocked even herself, tagging up on a sacrifice fly to right by Searle and scoring a run to put Warriors up 12-8.
In what was going to be the last Concordes bat, Dianne Patzel led off with a single, but was caught stealing by an outstanding throw from catcher Doyle and an equally outstanding tag by Polderman.
After another catch to Searle at centre, Warriors had their tails up with two outs and a four run lead.
In the end Warriors secured a 12-9 victory and jumped off the bottom of the ladder, although all other teams still have outstanding games to play.
In the other game, equal league leaders Demons took on reigning premiers Concordes United and it was an incredibly tight game right until the final innings.
Both Billie Jones and Dana Jones pitched outstanding games in sweltering conditions for their respective sides.
Both sides scored three runs in the first innings, with Concordes holding a narrow 6-5 lead after two innings.
Demons levelled the score at nine-all heading into the last innings, almost taking the lead when Billie Jones went for an in-the-park home run, but was tagged out at the plate.
In the end Sarah Thomson was the difference, hitting a two RBI double to steal the match for Concordes, just one of three hits she had for the game.
The final score of 12-9 saw Concordes claim the win in an outstanding battle.
