No. 16 Kentucky softball (21-9-1) lost a close 4-3 game against No. 10 Georgia (29-6) at Jack Turner Softball Stadium on Sunday.

The game clinched the series for the Bulldogs and marked the second straight series loss for the Wildcats.

Neither team scored in the first two innings, although Kentucky gathered two hits in the first inning and another in the second.

In the third inning the Wildcats were the first to get on the board, taking a 2-0 lead after an RBI single by junior Erin Coffel was followed by a throwing error that allowed Coffel to cross home plate.

Kentucky followed that effort with a 1-2-3 inning on the defensive side to maintain the lead.

The lead did not last past the fourth inning, however, as the Bulldogs hit three solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth to give them a one-run lead.

After Kentucky went scoreless in the top of the fifth, Georgia added one more run in the bottom half from a sacrifice fly to bring their lead to 4-2.

Senior Rylea Smith hit an RBI double down the right field line that scored sophomore Hallie Mitchell to cut the lead to one, but the defense followed with three straight outs, putting the Wildcats into a crucial seventh inning situation.

Even though junior Grace Lorsung and sophomore Taylor Ebbs each recorded hits with two outs in the top of the seventh, junior Meeko Harrison struck out swinging to end the game.

Kentucky out-hit Georgia 9-7 during the contest, but the home runs by the Bulldogs were the difference in the game in the end.

Kentucky will attempt to avoid a series sweep against Georgia on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m. EST at Jack Turner Softball Stadium in Athens, Georgia. The game can be viewed live on the SEC Network.