USA 11, Colombia 0 in five

MARACAY, Venezuela – Facing wild pitching, with four U.S. players being hit by a pitch to reach, the United States pitching duo of Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and Brandice Balschmiter (Newark, N.Y ) were in complete control as they combined for a perfect game in the U.S.’s 11-0 rout of Colombia in the opening day of play at the Pan American Qualifier in Maracay, Venezuela. Megan Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.) led the offense going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and a three-run homerun. 

Nemitz made her first start in the red, white and blue in the circle and allowed no runners to reach through the two innings she pitched. 

“It was crazy playing against a team that I really couldn’t understand because that was the first time I have ever done that,” said Nemitz of competing in her first ever International Game. “I don’t really get nervous or intimidated so I didn’t have those nerves. It was just really exciting and fun.” 

With one practice as a team under its belt, the U.S. rallied together like a veteran team as they took a 6-0 lead in the first inning. Caitlin Lowe (Tustin, Calif.) led off for the United States with a single. Tammy Williams (Osceola, Mo.) and Andrea Duran (Selma, Calif.) followed with walks to load up the bases. Lowe scored the first run of the game off a sac fly by Kaitlin Cochran (Yorba Linda, Calif.). With two runners on, Langenfeld blasted a homerun over the centerfield for a three-run homerun. A long single by Vicky Galindo (Union City, Calif.) scored Melissa Roth (Long Beach, Calif.) who was hit by a pitch and Maggie Viefhaus who doubled, giving the Americans a commanding 6-0 lead in the first. 

The second inning saw four more runs go up on the board including RBI singles by Cochran, Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) and Roth. A sac fly by Galindo was responsible for the final run of the second inning. The final run of the game came in the third inning off a sac hit by Hansen that scored Duran who was hit by a pitch. Colombia allowed one hit and a hit by pitch in the fourth but the U.S. would not push a run across. The score of 11-0 was good enough to have the game called in the fifth due to the run-ahead rule. 

Nemitz, who earned the win, continued in the circle through the first two innings before Balschmiter came in to work the final three innings of the game. The two pitchers combined to throw a perfect game with Nemitz striking out one and Brandice sitting down seven with a strikeout. 

The USA Softball Pan American Qualifier team will take part in opening ceremonies this evening before facing Brazil tomorrow at noon/CT. 

About ASA 

The Amateur Softball Association, founded in 1933, is the National Governing Body of softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The ASA has become one of the nation’s largest sports organizations and now sanctions competition in every state through a network of 83 local associations. The ASA has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 210,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than three million. For more information on the ASA, visit http://www.asasoftball.com/. 

About USA Softball 

USA Softball is the brand created, operated and owned by the ASA that links the USA Men’s, Women’s, Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ National Team programs together. USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting these four National Teams to compete in international and domestic competitions. The USA Softball Women’s National Team is one of the only two women’s sports involved in the Olympic movement to capture three consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games since 1996. The U.S. women have also won eight World Championship titles including the last six consecutive as well as claimed two World Cup of Softball titles. For more information about USA Softball, please visit http://www.usasoftball.com/.