TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — A three-run rally in the ninth inning proved to be the difference on Friday night as the Earlham College baseball team defeated the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 8-7.

With the Engineers leading the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference affair 7-5 heading into the ninth, Ted Williams led off the frame with a single before Ryan Hayes blasted a game-tying home run. It was the fifth of the season for Hayes, who holds the all-time Earlham record with 24 long balls in his career.

Alex Arovits followed with a single. Ira Hughes was inserted as a pinch-runner for Arovits and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Matt Barger.

Josh Parr promptly doubled to score Hughes and the Quakers had the lead as they looked for their fifth straight victory.

T. J. Plummer, Earlham's all-time leader in saves, added to his total with a perfect bottom of the ninth to shut the door on the Engineers (17-10, 11-5). Plummer has three saves this season and 10 in his career.

Earlham is now 16-13 overall this spring and 8-8 in the HCAC, which puts the Quakers in sixth place. The 16 wins are the most for an Earlham squad since 1971 when the Quakers were 24-12-1.

Arovits led the Quakers with four hits, while Thomas Rea, Williams and Hayes had two each.

Howie Smith (3-2) worked scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth as he picked up the win for the Quakers. Smith gave up one hit and had two strikeouts.

Nate Hube started on the mound for the Quakers and left the contest with two outs in the fifth when Adam Warning entered the game and he worked until the seventh.

The Quakers opened the scoring with four runs in the third inning to grab an early advantage. Ethan Bailey scored the first run on an error, after he walked and stole second.

Rea made it 2-0 with a RBI single. Williams added a RBI double and Arovits finished the rally with a run-scoring single.

Earlham added to its lead in the fourth on a single by Rea that produced a run.

Rose-Hulman answered with five runs in the fifth to tie the game before the Engineers scored twice in the sixth to go on top 7-5, which set the stage for Earlham's comeback in the ninth.

The two teams finish the conference series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at noon in Terre Haute.