Crespi Finished by Familiar Plot : Southern Section baseball: Celts fashioned defense and pitching into a successful season, but they are outplayed by Esperanza, 2-0, in Division I semifinal.

Crespi High had lived by pitching and defense all year.

In Tuesday’s Southern Section Division I semifinal, the Celts died because of it.

Two Esperanza pitchers combined on a two-hitter and shortstop Poncho Ruiz was spectacular, leading the Aztecs to a 2-0 victory against Crespi at Blair Field in Long Beach.

George Hart, who pitched the first four innings, and Marcus Jones handed Crespi (27-3) its first shutout of the season.

In doing so, Esperanza snapped the Celts’ 17-game winning streak and ensured that Crespi would not become the first No. 1-seeded team to win a major Southern Section division championship since 1970.

Crespi Coach Scott Muckey explained it simply: “They had a shortstop that picked up everything.”

Ruiz just may have saved the game soon after it began.

After falling behind, 1-0, in the top of the first, Crespi loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the inning. Brad Wright ripped a grounder that appeared headed into left field.

Ruiz dove to his right and grabbed the ball, then popped to his feet and threw to second for the inning-ending forceout.

“That was a great play,” Wright said. “He just laid out for it. We were going pretty well. We got three guys on in a row and things were going our way. Lo and behold, he makes a great play.

“When that happens, you think about it the next few innings.”

Said Hart: “That was huge. That was two runs right there. Poncho really saved us.”

The Celts’ next bad break was of their own making.

In Esperanza’s half of the second inning, No. 9 hitter Jason Goettsche fisted a dribbler toward first with two out and a runner at third. First baseman Jeff Suppan got the ball as Goettsche passed him on the base line. Suppan missed with a sweep tag and pitcher Keith Evans did not get to the bag in time to cover.

The run scored, giving Esperanza (24-5) a 2-0 lead.

“It was just one of those in-betweens,” Evans said of the hit. “The guy ran well and I didn’t communicate well with Suppan.”

Suppan said he wasn’t sure where on the field he was when he picked up the ball.

“It was my (fault),” he said.

Suppan was playing first base because Muckey decided he wanted to stay with his regular rotation, starting Evans and having Suppan available in relief.

Evans (8-1) was pulled in the third, leaving with one out and the bases loaded. Jorvic Salazar got out of that jam and pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings.

Suppan finished the game with three strikeouts in two perfect innings.

Hart (4-0), who had missed part of the year with arm problems, was making only his second start. However, he held the Celts to one hit through four innings before yielding to Jones, Esperanza’s ace.

Esperanza Coach Mike Curran said the plan was for Hart to pitch five innings and Jones the last two, leaving Jones eligible to pitch as many as eight Saturday in the championship game.

But Crespi threatened to score in the third and fourth innings, prompting the change in the fifth.

Crespi had runners at first and second with none out in the third, but Esperanza turned a nice double play, with Ruiz making the pivot.

In the fourth, the Celts had runners at first and second with two out, but Ruiz made a running catch of a popup in shallow left field to retire the side.

Ruiz had nine assists and made two putouts.

“We just kept hitting the ball to that shortstop,” Suppan said.