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The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team split a doubleheader with Southern Conference leader Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon in Statesboro, Ga., falling 3-1 before winning 2-1. The teams play a third game today.

UTC starting pitcher Katie Henderson and GSU ace Sarah Purvis battled in the opener in a game that was scoreless through three and a half innings, but the Eagles (31-16, 13-3) jumped on top in the bottom of the fourth when Kourtny Thomas walked with one out and scored on a home run by Morgan Robinson.

GSU added another run in the fifth when Lexi Hamilton led off the inning with a double and came home on a single by A.J. Hamilton.

Third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts got UTC (26-18, 9-6) on the board in the seventh with a two-out home run.

Henderson allowed the three runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts over six innings, but she was outmatched by Purvis' three-hitter.

In the second game, the Lady Mocs struck first with two runs in the fourth inning. Criket Blanco was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, moved to third on a groundout and a single by Tyler Templet and scored on a throwing error by the Eagles' shortstop. Sam Taylor followed with a double to score Templet.

UTC junior pitcher Taylor Deason allowed only a home run by Thomas in the sixth inning. Deason allowed four hits and no walks while striking out five batters.

UK tops Lady Vols

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The eighth-ranked Tennessee softball team lost 5-2 to No. 9 Kentucky on Saturday after winning 6-3 on Friday with two home runs and three RBIs by Annie Aldrete.

Saturday, the Wildcats (40-10, 13-7 SEC) took a 2-0 lead off UT starter Cheyanne Tarango on a second-inning home run by Laurne Cumbess, but the Lady Vols (38-9, 13-7) got even in the third on RBI hits by Megan Geer and Madison Shipman.

Kentucky took the lead for good in the fifth with two unearned runs. Griffin Joiner reached on an error and advanced to second on a bunt single by Sylever Samuel, and both scored after a single by Nikki Sagermann, who was thrown out at second on the play.

The two teams will wrap up the series today with a game at 2 p.m.