Kentucky softball fell to the Tennessee Volunteers 10-2 in six innings on Saturday, suffering a series defeat after falling 2-1 the day prior.

The Wildcats came into the matchup 25-11-1 with a 7-6 SEC record.

Kentucky pitcher Kennedy Sullivan took the loss, pitching 1.1 innings while allowing five runs on two hits and three walks. She would fall to 2-2 on the year.

Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens earned the win for the Volunteers, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits and four walks. The win would bring her to 8-4 on the year. 

Starting off the scoring would be the visiting Volunteers, who loaded the bases before a two-run single and sacrifice fly would put Tennessee up 3-0 early in the day.

Kentucky would get a runner to third and threaten to score, but failed to plate any runs. 

The top of the second would see more scoring for the Vols when a Jamison Brockenbrough walk was followed up by a Kiki Milloy home run to make the score 5-0 in the middle of the second.

UK would once again get a runner to third, but home plate would escape the Cats’ grasp. 

The fourth inning would result in Tennessee runs yet again as another home run would be hit, this time by McKenna Gibson, bringing home Beautae and Brockenbrough, resulting in an 8-0 deficit for the Cats.

The bottom of the fourth would open with a double by Kayla Kowalik and a walk by Erin Coffel.

Karissa Hamilton would step up next and hit a one-run double, scoring Kowalik from second base. A double play and a groundout would end the inning and keep the scoring to just one run on the board for the Cats.

A few walks would characterize the fifth for UT while Kentucky would go 1-2-3 in that same inning.

Tennessee would lead off the sixth with a single and wild pitch, getting a runner to second. A wild pitch would send her to third with no outs before the next batter would walk and steal second.

A sac fly would then plate another run before UT hitter Zaida Puni doubled to left center, bringing home one runner and making it 10-1 to send it to the bottom of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth the Wildcats would get bases loaded with one out before a grounder would bring one home, the second and last of the day for UK.

Kentucky finished with two runs on four hits while leaving twelve on base. Tennessee, on the other hand, scored ten off six hits, leaving five on base.

Milloy and Gibson were both key for the Volunteers, going 2-3 and bringing in a combined six runs. For UK, Kowalik was the only one to record multiple hits, while three Cats recorded a hit on Saturday.

Kentucky will close the series against Tennessee on Sunday. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN2.