RICHMOND, Ind. — An 8-run eighth inning on Friday by the Earlham College baseball team broke open a close contest at Randal R. Sadler Stadium.

As a result of the big rally, there wasn't much doubt about the outcome as the Quakers posted a 12-3 victory over Defiance College in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener for both squads.

With the win, the Quakers are 9-3 overall and now have the best start in school history during the NCAA era.

The Yellow Jackets (6-6, 0-1) scored in the first inning with a run off Earlham starter Nate Hube, who worked six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in a no-decision outing.

Earlham answered in the bottom of the first on a RBI double by Ted Williams. Defiance scored its second run in the third to take a 2-1 lead.

Neither team could score after that until the Quakers tied the contest when Ryan McCray picked up a RBI on a infield single in the sixth.

The Quakers took 4-2 lead in the seventh on run-scoring singles by Thomas Rea and Alex Arovits before the Yellow Jackets closed the gap to 4-3 in the top of the eighth, which set the stage for Earlham's offensive outburst in the bottom of the frame.

In the Earlham eighth, the Quakers sent 12 batters to the plate. Devin Spurgon, Rea, Ethan Bailey and Williams each knocked in a run to make it 8-3. Arovits had a 2 RBI hit before Matt Barger and McRay ended the rally with one RBI each.

Howie Smith (2-0), who entered the game in the seventh and left with one out in the eighth, picked up the win. After Garrett York got the next out, T. J. Plummer closed the door on the Yellow Jackets in the eighth. Adam Warning finished on the mound for the Quakers in the ninth.

Rea, Williams and Arovits led the Quakers with three hits each. McCray and Josh Parr added to hits apiece.

The two teams finish their HCAC series on Saturday in Sadler Stadium with a doubleheader beginning at noon.