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Tennessee softball co-head coach Ralph Weekly calls senior Tonya Callahan quiet and a leader by example.

Sunday afternoon in the first game of a double-header sweep of Kentucky, the third baseman made plenty of noise on the field. A towering, two-run home run over the scoreboard in the fifth inning at Lee Softball Stadium helped propel the Lady Vols to a 5-1 win.

Callahan's home run also vaulted her to the top of Tennessee's career RBIs list with 205. She surpassed Kristi Durant, with whom she played early in her career.

"I really had no clue I was even close," Callahan said. "I am not really a big stats person. But I am proud to say it was a teammate I played with."

Weekly ranks Callahan at the top from an objective perspective as well.

"She is the best third baseman I ever coached," he said. "And that is saying a lot since we had Kristi Durant, a three-time all-American. She's a clutch performer who always comes up with the key play or key hit."

Callahan's homer came after Tiffany Huff had hit a two-run double to break open a scoreless game. Danielle Pieroni completed the scoring with an RBI triple.

Molly Johnson drove in Audrey Meyer in the sixth for the Wildcats (12-10, 1-2 SEC), but freshman pitcher Ashton Ward (14-2) was able to secure the victory.

UT (25-4, 3-3) carried the momentum into the second game, winning 2-0 to avenge a Saturday loss to the Wildcats.

Both of Tennessee's runs in the second game were unearned, while pitcher Megan Rhodes (11-2) definitely earned her victory, pitching around base runners in five of the innings.

Tennessee's first run came on an RBI by Pieroni in the third, while Kenora Posey scored on a throwing error in the fourth after stealing second and third base.

Callahan also had a good second game, drawing three walks.

Weekly, who was disappointed with the Saturday loss, was happier Sunday.

"Today was a better day," he said. "I thought we got the key hits when we needed them, and our pitchers gave us the margin we needed."

He added that not having Shannon Doepking, who had to sit out the Kentucky series after suffering a mild concussion Wednesday against Tennessee State, was detrimental.

"It hurt us more than I thought because they were definitely pitching around Callahan," he said.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.