Photographs and more details of the two hero police officers who 'prevented a full blown massacre' at a congressional baseball practice have emerged.

Capitol Police officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey, special agents on Rep. Steve Scalise's security detail, returned fire on James T. Hodgkinson after he took aim at lawmakers at a baseball park in Alexandria, Virginia on Wednesday morning.

The pair were shot by Hodgkinson as he let out over 100 rounds from his assault rifle but are expected to make a full recovery.

The 2017 Congressional Baseball Game, an annual tradition, went ahead on Thursday with the Democrats beating their Republican counterparts 11-2 in an emotional affair attended by Bailey, who used crutches.

Capitol Police Officer David Bailey pictured in August 2016, he and Crystal Griner shot and killed gunman James T. Hodgkinson

This 2003 photo shows Crystal Griner during a college basketball for Hood College in Frederick

The attack left a total of five injured including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who had to have an emergency hip operation and was said to be in a critical condition after the procedure.

Congressional staffer Zachary Barth and lobbyist Matt Mika were also shot but both are expected to recover.

The two police officers, the only armed people aside from the attacker on the scene, leapt into action as Scalise dragged himself away from the spray of bullets.

Despite getting struck by Hodgkinson the duo still managed to nullify the assailant who later died from his gunshot wounds.

The pair have received bountiful praise for their bravery from numerous quarters including Senator Rand Paul who was at the practice when the shooter, a staunch Democrat with a police record, opened fire.

Injured Capitol Hill Police officer David Bailey, center, holds his hand over his heart during the National Anthem with U.S. Capitol Police Chief Matthew Verderosa, far right, before the Congressional baseball game on Thursday

U.S. Capitol Hill special agent David Bailey (L), who was wounded in yesterday's shooting, throws out the first pitch before the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park on June 15, 2017 in Washington, DC

'Our lives were saved by the Capitol Police. Had they not been there I think it would have been a massacre,' Sen.Paul said on CNN after the shooting.

'The field, I mean, was basically a killing field.'

Friends also heaped praise on the officers with Danielle Carpenter, an associate of Bailey, describing him as a 'leader.'

'He definitely takes his job very seriously. He works really hard and is committed to keeping the Whip safe and to serving,' Carpenter told The Daily Beast.

'He is a leader in all ways. He is one of the best guys I've ever met—is kind to everyone and always makes sure that everyone feels safe and taken care of.

James T. Hodgkinson (pictured right campaigning against Republicans in 2012) was a hateful Trump opponent who threatened to 'destroy' the president on social media before attacking a GOP baseball practice on Wednesday

'Dave is really proud of his Brazilian and Jamaican heritage and you can tell he would do anything for family. He considers Congressman Scalise and his family as his own, so it is no surprise that he would make any sacrifice necessary to keep Whip Scalise safe.'

Griner and Bailey are veterans of special security teams tasked with protecting congressman, and have spent years on Capitol Hill earning the admiration of high-profile politicians.

Both agents previously served on the security detail of former Majority Leader Eric Cantor who only had words of admiration for Griner.

'Griner's an incredibly able and professional individual who always takes her job and responsibility seriously,' Cantor told The Daily Beast.

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was rushed to hospital after being shot in the hip. He was initially expected to recover but his condition worsened and became critical on Wednesday afternoon

The men were practicing at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, ahead of a charity game on Thursday

'It is not surprising to hear of her heroism and bravery during this horrible attack.'

'The bravery David showed reflects the kind of commitment he, Crystal, and the team demonstrated each and every day,' Cantor continued.

Bailey has been on the Capitol Police force for nine years, and previously worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, according to his LinkedIn page.

He graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina, in 2007.

Griner is a 2006 graduate of Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. Griner was a basketball star through high school and college, and quickly became one of the college's top scorers in her freshman year.

Hodgkinson opened fire on a group of GOP figures from behind the third base dugout at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia, as they practiced for a charity baseball game on Thursday at 7am

Hodgkinson opened fire from behind the third base dugout as the group of GOP figures practiced batting on the field in preparation for a charity baseball game against Democrats.

Florida Rep. Ron DeSantis and Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina spoke with him moments before the shooting.

They told how the shooter approached them and asked if they were Republican or Democrat. He walked away after being told they were members of the GOP, Duncan said.

The pair escaped his bloody rampage and only identified him as the shooter after seeing his photograph in the news.

Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, who expressed his prayers for the victims before learning that the gunman was one of his fans, resisted criticism directed at him at the capitol on Wednesday. His aides stayed between him and reporters milling near the Senate chamber.

In a statement on the Senate floor, the democratic socialist said in a statement on the Senate floor that he was aware the shooter 'apparently volunteered on my presidential campaign.

'I am sickened by this despicable act,' he said. 'Let me be as clear as I can be. Violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society and I condemn this action in the strongest possible terms.'