ARCHBOLD -- No. 1 proved it was better than No. 2.

Top-ranked Defiance (27-1) captured another district championship on Saturday at Archbold's Memorial Park behind an outstanding pitching performance from senior lefty Weston Rivers, and a 10-hit attack that did in No. 2 Sandusky Perkins (27-2) in the Division II championship tilt, 6-1.

The Bulldogs earned their 16th district title in school history (10th in the last 15 years), and advanced to the regional semifinals Thursday at Tiffin to face Parma Heights Holy Name at 5 p.m.

"I want to give a lot of credit to our coaching staff, they did a great job scouting the teams we played here in the districts, and they did a great job preparing our team," stated Defiance mentor Tom Held after his team beat Perkins for the second straight season in the district finals. "Without their hard work, we wouldn't be here."

After seeing Defiance score four runs in the second inning, and Rivers hold down his club offensively, Perkins coach Ray Neill agreed with Held on a conversation they had after the game.

"I think Tom (Held) said it best after the game when he said: 'Today was just our day,'" said Neill.

The Bulldogs put the Pirates in an early hole in the second inning with two outs in the books.

Dom Romero singled off starter Thane Walton, before Rivers coaxed a walk on a full-count pitch to put runners at first and second. Joe Keween, who drove home the first run of the game against Perkins in last year's 5-2 victory, singled to right to plate Romero as Rivers moved to third.

Derek Turner followed with another single to right, scoring Rivers for a 2-0 DHS lead. When Austin Hancock singled up the middle off Walton, Keween scored from second and Walton's day was done. Braun Miller came on and got Dom Gentile to hit a pop fly to center, but the ball was misplayed, falling harmlessly for a RBI single that scored Turner for a 4-0 lead.

Keween was pleased to help his team take the lead in another big game.

"The last two years I've been fortunate enough to be in position to drive in a run, and I give credit to the guys for getting on in front me," Keween said. "Weston had a great at-bat right before me, then I got a pitch I could handle. I've been working hard in the cage lately, it paid off today."

Neill certainly knew his team was in trouble following the two-out, outburst.

"Two outs, nobody on, we walked a guy there ... we just couldn't get that third out," Neill said. "With the pitching they have, when you give up a crooked number like that you really put yourself behind the 8-ball."

One day after getting no-hit by Jake Rudnicki of Toledo Central Catholic, Held watched as his team put together four hits in the second frame alone in finishing with 10 for the game.

"We stayed the course with two outs there and guys got big hits," Held said. "Hitting is contagious and once we got the first one, the guys went up there with confidence. We talked about being confident in our hitting ability and being confident in ourselves before the game. They took that to heart and ran with it today."

While the Bulldogs added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to grab a 6-0 advantage, the drama late in the game was if Rivers could throw a no-no of his own. Perkins broke it up in the bottom of the sixth with a lead-off bloop single by Devin Dubbert. The Pirates later scored that inning thanks to Defiance's lone miscue.

Rivers, who settled back in, got help from his defense, including a Sports Center highlight play by Dom Gentile at third in the seventh, to run his record to 8-0. The lefty struck out five with no walks while allowing just two singles to Perkins, which had tied a school record with its 27 wins.

"Weston took a no-hitter into the sixth against a great team ... his knuckleball was just really, really good," Held said. "He was able to locate it, and because they're an aggressive hitting team, it played into his strength today with that pitch. Just an unbelievable performance from the senior."

Said Rivers: "The key today was just to throw strikes and my knuckler was untouchable today, they really struggled against it. I threw it for strikes a lot today, (catcher) Joe (Keween) did a great job back there and the defense behind me was amazing."

Gentile, who made an unbelievable diving stop and throw to keep Perkins off the basepaths in the seventh inning, was humble when asked about his contribution to the win.

"Sometimes even a blind squirrel finds a nut," said Gentile, who finished with a pair of singles and a pair of RBIs for Defiance. "It's good to get this win, we've just got to continue to play well."

Hancock led DHS with two singles and triple while Romero also singled twice in the win.

Defiance 040 110 0 - 6 10 1

Perkins 000 001 0 - 1 2 0

Records: Defiance 27-1, Sandusky Perkins 27-2.

Winning pitcher: Weston Rivers (7 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Losing pitcher: Thane Walton (1 2/3 innings, 4 runs, 4 hits, 1 strikeout, 2 walks). Others: Braun Miller, Chase Boyer.

Leading hitters: (Defiance, 10 hits) - Austin Hancock 2 singles, triple; Dom Gentile 2 singles; Dom Romero 2 singles. (Sandusky Perkins, 2 hits).