Thousand Oaks Rewards Angelo, 1-0

When Nicole Angelo of Thousand Oaks High wasn’t pitching Tuesday, she was pacing and pleading.

“I couldn’t stop [pacing],” Angelo said. “I was saying, ‘Please score for me, please.’ ”

In the 11th inning, Katie Richards, the 18th runner to reach base for Thousand Oaks, finally granted Angelo’s wish.

Taylor Cohen’s single scored Richards from second base and the Lancers held on for a 1-0 victory over Anaheim Canyon in a Southern Section Division II softball semifinal at Canyon.

Thousand Oaks (25-5), Marmonte League champion, advanced to its first section final since 1987 and will face Whittier California either Friday or Saturday night.

Credit Angelo’s superb pitching for the trip.

The senior right-hander retired 23 consecutive batters after the leadoff batter reached base on an error. She allowed her first hit in the 10th and finished with a two-hitter and eight strikeouts.

Angelo (20-4) forced 10 infield pop-ups in the first seven innings.

“All those pop-ups, it’s a sign of a [pitch] that’s moving,” Canyon Coach Lance Eddy said. “She overmatched our hitters.”

Angelo was exceptional against Canyon (26-8-1), which had nine hits off Monica Becerra of Mater Dei in a 7-2 quarterfinal victory.

“My riseball was working really well [in the beginning], then they started laying off it, so I threw my curveball,” said Angelo, who threw 115 pitches, 84 for strikes.

Thousand Oaks, which stranded 15 runners, finally scored when Cohen, the No. 9 batter, looped an 0-and-2 pitch into left-center field.

“I really didn’t think I’d be the one to win the game,” Cohen said. “I never put the ball in the outfield. I always keep it in the infield.”