The Auburn Tigers softball team pulled off one of the great comebacks in 2016 on Tuesday, rallying from down 7-0 against Oklahoma to win 11-7 and force a deciding Game 3 in the Women's College World Series national championship. The Tigers won the game in dramatic fashion with Emily Carosone drilling a walk-off grand slam in extra innings.
There can't be many moments in sports more dramatic than hitting a walk-off grand slam in an elimination game. Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn and men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl loved it.
That ending would have been good enough to make the game one of the best of the year. But the ending only told a small part of what was a riveting comeback. After winning Game 1 of the best-of-three series, Oklahoma jumped out to a 7-0 lead in Game 2. All the Sooners needed to do was hold on for a few innings and the game -- and national championship -- were theirs.
Auburn wasn't having it.
The Tigers rallied to tie the game, 7-7, in the bottom of the fourth inning. Things looked bleak again for a moment in the top of the sixth when Oklahoma launched a shot deep into left field. Fortunately for the Tigers, Tiffany Howard was there for this great home run-robbing catch.
That saved the game temporarily and helped send it into extra innings. Carosone sent the Tigers home happy two innings later.