PHILADELPHIA -- Elizabethtown led into the fifth inning during Monday's season-opener against Arcadia at La Salle University's DeVincent Field, but the Knights rallied with four runs in the fifth and three in the eighth to down the Blue Jays, 9-5.

Sophomore Riley McGinley knocked in the the first run for the defending Landmark Conference champions in the top of the second. The Blue Jays tacked on two more compliments of an Arcadia error and Derek Manning's bases loaded walk, staking Adam Sheibley to a 3-0 lead in his E-town coaching debut.

Elizabethtown still held a 3-1 advantage going to the home half of the fifth, behind four solid innings from starting pitcher Anthony Lippy, who allowed a single run on four hits through his first four innings.

The Knights (1-0), coached by 2006 Elizabethtown alum Bryan Torresani, broke through in the fifth with four runs on a matching number of singles to take their first lead of the afternoon. Brett Moyer pushed a 2-run single into right field to even the score at three and teammates Sean Carew and Nick Ponente followed with RBIs.

Nick Lorenz tripled to the corner in right to score Colby Smith and bring the Jays (0-1) back within 5-4 in the top of the sixth, but Arcadia answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. The Knights got a huge 2-run triple from shortstop Josh Fulmer in the eighth to help extend their lead to 9-4.

Lorenz, Manning, Brennan Snyder and Anthony Knight each had two hits for the Blue and Gray. Elizabethtown piled up 13 hits as a team. They left 14 runners on base, however, while Arcadia stranded just five.

Lippy departed four batters into the sixth, taking the loss with six runs (five earned) and nine hits allowed. Braden Stinar gave up three runs in two innings and Andrew Brndjar cleanly recorded a pair of outs.

Arcadia starter Jeremy Sabathne lasted only two innings, but Joel Bartoni was excellent in long relief. Bartoni went five innings, striking out two and yielding four hits to pick up the victory.

Leadoff hitter Bryan Gillen went 3-for-4 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored to pace the Knights offensively.

Elizabethtown will travel south for Spring Break next week, playing seven games in six days in Fort Pierce, Fla. The Blue Jays' trip begins Sunday at 2 p.m. against Penn State Behrend.