CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The United States thumped Botswana 17-0 in three innings Monday at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women’s World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa. Nyree White (Eugene, Ore.) threw a perfect game, striking out three, to help the team remain undefeated after five pool play games.

“The team put up a ton of runs today so it was pretty easy for me just going out there throwing strikes,” White said. “I wanted to use my defense, roll up ground balls, which is the same approach that I usually have. I wanted to make sure that we got back in the dugout so we could keep scoring some more runs.”

The Americans set the tone in the top of the first with 11 runs scored. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) started the offensive outpouring with a single to left field that scored Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.), who was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.) doubled to move Carda to third. Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.) reached on an error, scoring Carda. Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.), pinch running for Freeman, stole second.

Cheyenne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) made it 4-0 with a double to score Cordes and Damico. Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif.) singled to center field, moving Tarango to third, then stole second. Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) walked to load the bases. Pitcher Tjitjoo Rapelang then walked Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) for her first of five RBI in the game.

An error in left field allowed Salvarola to reach base and score Goodacre and Coyle. With Chamberlain on third, Carda hit an RBI single. A Cordes triple scored Salvarola and Carda, who went 3-for-3 on the day. Freeman singled up the middle to score Cordes, which marked the final run of the inning. The first ended with a Tarango fly out.

Goodacre and White started the second with consecutive singles. Coyle doubled to left field to score Goodacre. With two-on, Chamberlain hit a home run to make it a 15-0 contest. The homer marked Chamberlain’s first of the tournament but the second for the team, which benefited from a Chelsea Zgrabik (Nokomis, Fla.) homer against South Africa on Sunday.

“The game was all about adjustments,” said Chamberlain. “The team adjustment was to wait back, see it deep and that was my plan. I got a good pitch and good things happened.”

In the third, White doubled to score Goodacre, who reached on an error by the second baseman than advanced to second on a passed ball. Chamberlain later added a run to the board when White scored on her double.

“Hitting wise, I’ve just tried to get a nice pitch and take a good hack, see the ball deep,” said White, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. “It’s cool when I’m hitting and pitching because it keeps me from getting to wrapped up in either side of the game. It’s cool to be able to balance it out that way.”

Team USA has two pool play games remaining in Cape Town before the playoffs (Dec. 15-16) and medal rounds (Dec. 17). The Americans face Czech Republic on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. SAST/9:30 a.m. CT and close out pool play Wednesday with Puerto Rico at 2 p.m. SAST/6 a.m. CT.

Live stats for all of the U.S. games in Cape Town are available at USASoftball.com. Team USA’s games with the Czech Republic is also scheduled for live streaming through the tournament website (http://jwwc2011.co.za/).

-Courtesy of ASA/USA Softball