Looks like a Northern Brown Snake...
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/reptiles/snakes/northern-brownsnake/Northern%20Brown%20Snake-Ron-Machmer.jpg
We used to catch those all the time... pretty docile. Looks like it might be a little thick, though... maybe its just had a lot of success in the food department lately.
At 8 inches, it could also be a young Garter Snake... any of a number of varieties...
http://k43.pbase.com/g5/94/339594/2/68409915.037a4AZ4.jpg
See how the young Garter's head is fairly large in relation to its body... and the Northern Brown's isn't? That could tell you more if you still have the snake... hard to tell from your photo.