After several long, cold months of ennui, the time has finally come. The 2009 CAN softball season is underway for the Penn State Nittany Lions. Instead of getting into shape against a cupcake team, the Lions kicked off the season the right way, challenging the University of Pittsburgh. FACT: Pitt rhymes with a word which is a synonym for excrement. According to the CAN Preseason Coaches' Poll, PSU was ranked #6 and Pitt was ranked #3 going into this game. The combination of the rankings and the longstanding rivalry between the teams easily made this marquee matchup the game of the week in all of CAN, and the game itself lived up to the hype.

The Panthers' impressive lineup made their presence felt right off the bat as they loaded the bases in the first inning. A long drive to left happened to fall right through the hole in Steve Pavlock's glove. This stroke of good fortune led to four runs for Pitt. Coach Lyle "Lutz" Yablonsky was unfazed, and encouraged the Lions by exclaiming that they have a "lineup full of bricks" which is apparently a good thing. Penn State's first hit of the season was accomplished by Todd "T-Diddy" Lechner, who was uninjured on the play. Lechner was forced out by Steve "Stud" Scheiner, who eventually scored the season's first run on a base knock by Justin "Hova" Holtz. In the second inning, Pitt managed to tack on more runs, but Lechner showed some D at SS to keep the game within reach.

Speaking of D, Penn State rookie Matt "Hamstring" Aumen risked life and limb to make a catch on the edge of the field, which happened to be the highway. The catch saved two runs and he miraculously walked away unscathed. Meanwhile, the PSU offense slowly but surely clawed their way back into the game. Becca "Mad Dog" Morlock picked up an RBI single, aided by some creative baserunning by Scheiner, much to the delight of Charlotte "Rookie in 2029" Morlock. Cam Richardson, who swings at the ball like he caught it flirting with his wife, started another rally with a hit. A hard ground ball by Katie "Maple Leaf" Rowland took a bad hop and decapitated the unfortunate Pitt pitcher, scoring Richardson.

Adam Sheppard spent the offseason gaining weight for the team, and it paid off when he snagged a hard line drive at the hot corner. The defense inspired the offense yet again. Kevin "Rip" Ripp hit a fly ball off an outfielder's glove and raced all the way around the bases. The official scorer generously credited him with a home run. This sparked an amazing rally continued as hits by Richardson, Kendra "The Rocket" Griffiths, Yablonsky, Sheppard, Fran Krylowicz, John, Paul, George, Ringo, and Mike Band tied the game. The Lions didn't stop there, as rookie "American Katie" Stauffer picked up her first hit. Ryan "PBR" Bowers drove in another run, and Sheppard's blast onto the highway (which counts as a double) took the fight out of the Panthers. Scheiner's great catch in the final inning put the exclamation point on a tremendous comeback.

The 2009 season could not have gotten off to a better start for Penn State. If the rookies and veterans continue to step up like this throughout the year, and if Coach Lyle learns how to pronounce everyone's names, the Nittany Lions will be the team to beat. The next game will be Cal on May 1.

This writeup brought to you by Andy "Pitt also rhymes with zit" Kilmer.