OKLAHOMA CITY – Things looked bleak down six runs with six outs remaining in the season, but the University of Science and Arts softball team got hot and put together a comeback for the ages as three players hit late-inning home runs.

Junior Cattlyn Crotty put the game away by blasting a game-winning home run to right field in the bottom of the ninth as USAO defeated Northwestern Oklahoma 10-8 in Friday’s Sooner Athletic Conference tournament. USAO dropped its first round game 7-2 to No. 3 Oklahoma City, which put them in the elimination game with NWOSU.

The Drovers got off to a good start against NWOSU as junior leadoff batter Leslie Beaty took USAO’s first pitch of the game over the centerfield wall to tie the score a 1-1. Crotty crossed the plate in the second inning to tie the game 2-2 on an RBI double by Sarah Jamison, but NWOSU began to pull away.

The Lady Rangers posted a three-run home run in the top of the third inning and another three-run shot in the top of the sixth to take an 8-2 lead as USAO faced its final two at bats of the game and season.

USAO racked up six base hits in the bottom of the sixth inning as Michelle Bauer, Amy Tice and Jamison scored to cut the NWOSU lead to 8-5.

Bauer kept the rally going in the bottom of the seventh with a one-out home run – her second of the season. With two outs, Crotty reached on a base hit and Tice followed with a two-run homer over the right center field wall that tied the score.

Beaty led off the eighth inning and was robbed of a game-winning home run as NWOSU centerfielder Kati Jo Gabaldon stretched out and pulled Beaty’s potential game-winner back into the park. USAO failed to score in the eighth, and the Lady Rangers were held scoreless in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bauer reached on her fourth base hit of the day. Hillary Brown moved Bauer, the winning run, to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Crotty’s tape-measure homer ended the game and propelled USAO into the next round.

Playing the third game in a day, the Drovers fell to No. 6 St. Gregory’s 10-1 late Friday night to end their season.