Sometimes a player just has to take one for the team.

And Thursday night during the Warriors’ non-conference game against Sullivan Central at Cannon Gouge Park, that is exactly what Taylor Hurley did.

In the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded and the game tied at 11, Taylor Hurley stepped up to the plate and held his ground as a ball nailed him sending him to first and his teammate Timmy  Masters home for the walk-off run.

“I expected to get hit,” Hurley said after the game. “I mean you want to move and not get hit, but you are just thinking about winning. The hit hurts, but the win is better.”

However, Taylor Hurley’s sacrificial moment may not have happened if it was not for the top-notch pitching of Happy Valley’s Ian Scruggs in the top of the eighth. With the contest knotted at 11 and a runner on second with no outs, Scuggs, who had came in to relieve Alton Clark in the sixth, had some work to do, but he did not disappoint. The hurler came alive as he struck out three consecutive batters to send the Warriors back to the dugout unscathed and full of energy.

“I was just looking to throw strikes or get ground balls, just something.” Scruggs said looking back at the intense inning. “When I started out tonight, I was throwing a little wild, so I just tried to bear down and throw strikes.”

Thursday’s game may have had a grand ending for the Warriors. The beginning, however, was far from what they wanted.

The Sullivan Central Cougars got to work early as they posted two runs in the top of the first, with Central’s Brandon McCready knocking a 2 RBI single to bring home teammates Matt Long and Noah Absher. After holding the Warriors scoreless in the bottom of the inning, the Cougars got after it again in the second to jump out to a 7-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Happy Valley finally found some footing as Duncan Hodge came home during a wild pitch and Justin Morefield found the plate off a hit from Clark. With the two runs, the Warriors had cut the deficit to five heading into the third frame where things began to get interesting.

The Warriors made quick work of the Cougars in the top of inning as they picked up three quick outs, before posting four runs in the bottom of the third to cut Central’s lead to one. Two hit batters and an error later, the Warriors had the bases loaded with no outs, and they did not waste the opportunity. Hodge popped an RBI-single to bring home Tyler Hurley, before Justin Morefield had an 2 RBI-single to net both Ryne Baines and Scruggs. Hodge finished up the third-inning scoring by coming home off of a passed ball.

The Warriors tied things up in the bottom of the fourth, with Tyler Hurley coming to the house off a ground out to short by Morefield. However, the Warriors could only muster one run in the inning as they left two runners on base.

The Cougars were at it again in the fifth as Noah Vaughn blasted a 2 RBI-double to climb Central out to a 9-7 edge, before picking up two more runs in the sixth to move out to a 11-7 lead.

Down four runs late in the game, the Warriors needed a big spark, and that spark came in the form of Baines. In the bottom of the sixth, Baines slammed a solo home run to get the Warriors rolling. Baines’ homer was followed up by Morefiled bringing Hodge home off a double, before Morefield came on home himself off a wild pitch to put Happy Valley behind Central 11-10.

The equalizing run came just in time in the bottom of the seventh as Happy Valley’s Skyatt Hyatt made it home off a passed ball to send things into extra innings tied at 11.

The Warriors had 10 hits on the night. Leading the way was Baines, who went 3-of-3 with two runs and a home run. Also making noise at the plate was Morefield, who went 3-of-4 with three RBIs and a two runs. Duncan Hodge finished the night going 2-of-2 with an RBI.

From the mound, Happy Valley’s Clark opened things up and tossed for 5.1 innings before being relieved by Scruggs, who picked up the win. Over the course of 2.2 innings, Scruggs had six strike outs and two hits against him.

Coming back from a 7-0 deficit to battle for a one-run win had Scruggs happy with his Warriors.

“I am so proud of this team,” he said. “We have had a problem with settling, and tonight we just fought. It was great.”

The Warriors will be back on the field Saturday as they host West Greene.