UT baseball rips Seton Hall 12-5

A five-run fourth inning gave Tennessee breathing room in a 12-5 baseball win over Seton Hall on Friday at the Tony Gwynn Classic in San Diego.

The Vols improved to 4-1 and pitcher Hunter Martin improved to 2-0 after a nine-strikeout performance in five innings.

Tennessee was back on the field late Friday night to take on San Diego State.

Benito Santiago lived up to the designated-hitter role, slugging a triple and a home run to drive in four runs.

Jordan Rodgers had three hits and two RBIs. Brodie Leftridge and freshman catcher Pete Derkay each had two hits in a 15-hit assault.

Eric Freeman pitched four innings and earned his first save of the season.

Tennessee struck for a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Derkay's triple drove in the first run. Dom Thornton followed with an RBI double. Leftridge's single drove in the third run.

In the third inning, Justin Ammons and Rodgers got hits ahead of Santiago's triple to make it 5-0.

Reggie Southall started the big fourth inning with a single. Leftridge and Rodgers had singles. Ammons had an RBI groundout. Santiago cleaned up with a two-run home run to make it 10-0.

Rodgers added an RBI single in the fifth and Andre Lipcius scored on a passed ball to make it 12-4 in the eighth.

Martin allowed six hits and two earned runs. Freeman gave up five hits and three earned runs to the Pirates (2-3).