SEWANEE, Tenn. — The Earlham College baseball team finished its opening weekend on Sunday with a 12-4 victory over the University of the South.

The Quakers broke open a close contest as they scored eight runs over the last two innings.

On the mound, John Cornett slammed the door on the Tigers (4-1) with three scoreless frames at Montgomery Field.

With the score tied 4-4 in the top of the eighth inning, Earlham got started as Devin Spurgon led off with a walk. Ryan McCray then reached on an error before Josh Parr put the Quakers in front 5-4 with a single.

Later in the inning, Ethan Bailey added a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4. Thomas Rea capped the outburst with a two-run single and it was 8-4.

In the ninth, the Quakers added four more runs to put the game away. Ryan Hayes had a run-scoring double. Hayes later scored on an error and it was 10-4.

A fielder's choice by Nate Lynch that produced a run and a RBI single by Rea ended the scoring.

Cornett (1-0) entered the contest for the Quakers in the seventh inning with the score tied and he allowed only two baserunners the rest of the way to get the win. He gave up a single to the first hitter of the seventh and hit the leadoff man in the ninth.

Earlham starting pitcher Nate Hube worked six innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, the Quakers took a 1-0 lead in the second on a double steal. Lynch swiped second as the catcher threw to the base as Matt Barger raced home.

The Tigers took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to three Earlham errors, but the Quakers were able to bounce back.

Alex Arovits tied the contest at 3-3 with a two-run single in the top of the fifth.

The Tigers took the lead in their half of the fifth, but the Quakers were able to answer again with a RBI single by Lynch in the sixth to make it 4-4.

Rea led the Quakers with four hits, while Parr finished with three hits. Arovits and Lynch had two hits each.

Earlham (1-2) returns to action on Saturday at Spalding University. The non-conference affair gets underway at 5 p.m.