COLUMBUS - Awesome.

Amazing.

Dominating.

Winning a state title?

Sure, but also words to describe the performance of Defiance's Weston Rivers after the senior left-hander pitched the Bulldogs to the Division II state championship on Saturday night.

Rivers took a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh before Jonathan Alder managed four seventh-inning hits. But fittingly, Rivers recorded his 15th strikeout to finish off the second state title in DHS baseball history with an 8-2 victory.

"You can dream about it, that's all you can do, but we made it happen," Rivers said after his masterpiece that left an impression on everyone in the largest crowd of the tournament.

One was sitting in the opposing dugout.

"I don't think I've ever coached a game and been dominated by someone as much as he did," Alder coach Craig Kyle said. "He threw his fastball by us with movement and his knuckleball for strikes. He's a lefty throwing mid-80s.

"That's the first time I've seen someone against one of my teams throw it (the knuckleball) for strikes. I tip my hat to him."

Defiance catcher Joe Keween had as good of a view as anyone at his fellow senior.

"Nobody could touch him this year," Keween said. "He had the best season anybody could ask for. He's the MVP of the team this season."

Rivers improved to 10-0 on the year to equal the same mark of Defiance co-ace Rob Zeigler.

"The best thing about him is before every game this year everybody is nervous and people are throwing up and he's talking about canoeing or kayaking or fishing. He knows he's going to win and that gives the rest of the team confidence. Without him we would never have gotten this far."

When you're throwing the fastball consistently at 84 and the knuckler at 74 that spells trouble for the opposition as Alder found out.

"After the first inning getting those two strikeouts was big," admitted Rivers, who fell behind the first batter of the game 3-0 before coming back to record a pop out. He went on to fan 11 of the next 14 Alder hitters, baffling many with his knuckler.

"There was no wind to contend with and the strike zone was good," Rivers noted. "I was hoping my speed was a little higher, but I stayed consistent and they couldn't touch it. It's all about getting ahead with the fastball and coming back with the knuckleball."

Good enough to help give DHS head coach Tom Held his first state title.

"He was absolutely fabulous," Held said of Rivers. "He totally dominated a great team."