Fifteen Midland batters were the minimum Valley Christian Academy pitcher Francisco Calderon could have faced Friday.

He faced 15 batters.

Only a third-inning walk to John Lee separated the sophomore right-hander from a perfect game. Calderon eventually picked Lee off first base in the Lions/ 12-0 win at VCA over the Los Olivos-based team.

The game was called after five innings because of the run rule. The Lions improved to 1-1. The Oaks, who were missing three starters, are 1-2.

Was he thinking no-hitter as the game went along? "Not really," Calderon, who attended Santa Maria High and played for the Saints/ freshman team, said with a smile. "I was just trying to throw strikes."

He did that with regularity. Consistently getting his fastball over for low strikes on the outside part of the plate, Calderon dispatched the Oaks on just 44 pitches.

"I/ve been playing since I was five or six, and this is my first no-hitter in high school," said Calderon. "I/d thrown some in Little League."

To do so on the high school level is "cool," Calderon said. VCA second baseman Brian Mahoney preserved the no hitter by going to his knees, reaching to his left to glove Jejun Lee/s hard ground ball and then throwing Lee out at first base for the last out of the top of the fifth inning.

"This was a very good outing for Francisco," said first-year Lions coach Pete Fortier. "It was a confidence builder after he struggled some last time."

That was in relief of starter David Kiger in the Lions/ season opener, a loss to Coast Union at home. Fortier said that, though the game is not on the Lions/ schedule yet, they are trying to schedule a game for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Coast Union, which is in Cambria.

The game Friday was scoreless after two innings, and then three Oaks errors in the third helped the Lions to five runs.

One of those runs was earned. After the first two errors, Jacob Smith and Mahoney drove in runs with consecutive singles.

VCA scored three times in the fourth inning and four times in the fifth. One run in each inning was earned. The Lions/ earned run in the fifth came on Mahoney/s line drive solo lead off home run over the left field fence.

VCA had one hit after two innings and wound up with seven on the day.

"We started slow at the plate for some reason," said Fortier. "After that, we started to come around."

Calderon helped himself in the fourth by hitting a hard ground ball that took a hop over Midland second baseman John Lee/s glove for a base hit that brought in Kiger.

Nipomo 12, Coast Union 3 (Thursday)

NIPOMO 7 Bryce Seguine had two hits, including a triple, as the Titans defeated the Broncs.

Nipomo pitchers Samm Spears and Justin Scoggins combined on a four-hitter. Spears pitched the first six innings. Nipomo had 1o hits.

Softball

Righetti 5, Vintage (Napa) 3

Righetti 3, Wooster (Reno, Nev.) 0

SACRAMENTO 7 Jenna Maiden no-hit Wooster, and Tabitha Taylor/s RBI single capped a three-run seventh inning rally against Vintage as the Warriors (3-0) moved one win away from the Tournament of Champions title game.

A swinging third strike on a high pitch that resulted in a passed ball was all that kept Maiden from a perfect game against Wooster, which won its division in the Nevada state championships last year.

Maiden also doubled against Wooster.

Righetti trailed Vintage 3-0, then struck for two runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh.

Righetti takes on Clovis West, which is ranked 19th in California, at 12:45 p.m. today. If the Warriors win, they play for the championship at 6:45 p.m. this evening.

Tennis

San Marcos 12, SY 6

SANTA YNEZ 7 Garrett Gunning and Steve Sauer swept their sets at No. 2 doubles, but that was not enough for the Pirates.

The non-league loss to the Royals, a good team from the perennially tough Channel League, left Santa Ynez 3-3.

Golf

PR 395, SY 418, Nipomo 437

PASO ROBLES 7 Medalist Levi Garcia helped the Bearcats beat the Pirates and the Titans in a three-way match by shooting a 75 at the par 72 Hunter Ranch course.

Chris Donati led Santa Ynez with an 81. The Pirates are 2-7.

March 13, 2004