Reseda Is Less Than Perfect : Softball: San Pedro’s 11 hits fuel a 5-0 victory over Regents in a City Section Division 4-A semifinal.

The expression on Nicole DeLuca’s face and the tone in her voice gave the impression that the San Pedro High pitcher had just finished a mundane afternoon of practice.

Strange behavior for someone who had just pitched a two-hit shutout to lead the Pirates to a 5-0 victory over Reseda Tuesday in the semifinals of the City Section Division 4-A playoffs at South Gate Park.

The senior right-hander had 10 strikeouts and did not allow a Regent runner to reach second base.

She drained all the spirit out of Reseda (19-1), which was enjoying an undefeated season and vying for its first section title in the 23-year history of its program.

The Pirates were unaware of Reseda’s perfect record until Coach Tony Dobra told them just before the game. He didn’t know what to expect, because none of his players get very excited.

“On a scale of one to 10, they’re a five on the emotion scale,” Dobra said.

But for the Pirates, these big games are small potatoes. San Pedro (21-5) has reached the semifinals three seasons in a row and advances to the championship game for the sixth time in the past nine years.

“We know the feeling of this game, and we play it as a regular game,” DeLuca said. “They were excited to get in and go to UCLA [the site of Tuesday’s championship game]. They thought they were going to come out and stomp on us.”

It was San Pedro that did the stomping, in businesslike fashion.

Darlene Caracoza led off the game with a bunt single and scored on a Michelle Spanjol’s triple over the center fielder’s head to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the first.

Jenaye Brown led off the bottom of the first for Reseda, striking out on a fastball. Kristy Rebbeck then took a called third strike at the knees and Rosie Yeatts struck out swinging at an eye-level pitch.

“Our hitting wasn’t working,” Yeatts said. “We usually hit the crap out of the ball. I was nervous. We were nervous.”

With two out and the bases loaded in the third, No. 8 hitter Tina Arendain hit a two-run single that landed at the feet of right fielder Patricia Pena.

Jessica Garcia, the No. 9 hitter, then hit a bloop single that landed a foot inside the foul line behind the first baseman and rolled into foul territory.

Two runs scored, making it 5-0 and closing the books on Reseda’s would-be dream season.

DeLuca (14-5) just went about her business. Brown, Rebbeck, Yeatts and Brenda Lomeli--Reseda’s first four batters who were each batting .345 or better--were hitless against the San Pedro ace. The bottom third of the Regent lineup struck out five times in six plate appearances. Six times Reseda batters chased head-high pitches for third strikes.

“I kind of suckered some with my riseball,” DeLuca said.

Yeatts (9-1), who entered the game with a 0.78 earned-run average, allowed 11 hits and five earned runs in four innings.