The Bulldogs of Defiance turned in a workman-like performance on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon at home against St. Marys, getting solid pitching from lefty Weston Rivers while scoring six early runs in a 7-1 Western Buckeye League win over the Roughriders.
Defiance (16-0, 4-0 WBL, No. 1, Division II, Prep Baseball Report, Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll), ran its streak of WBL wins to 63 in a contest in which it finished with 10 hits and no errors.
“It’s always good to score early, the team that scores first in high school baseball wins most of the time, and we were able to capitalize early by hitting the ball hard and getting some runs,” stated Defiance mentor Tom Held. “Even some of our outs were hit very hard. I also find it hard to believe that Robbie (Zeigler) had the ball come off his bat at 94 miles per hour and it didn’t get out of small Booster Field.”
The Bulldogs scored first in the bottom of the first when Dom Gentile and Rob Zeigler connected on back-to-back doubles for a 1-0 lead. The ball hit by Zeigler off St. Marys starter Codie Deaton looked like it was going to be a towering home run, but the wind held it in the park before hitting off the left-field wall. Meanwhile, Gentile was pleased to help get the ‘Dogs off an early advantage.
“I’ve been playing with a lot of confidence lately, and ever since I got moved back to the No. 2 hole, I’ve been seeing the ball well,” Gentile said. “As a team we’ve been swinging it pretty well lately, and it was good to get Weston some early runs.”
In the second inning, the home team broke it up with five runs off Deaton.
A single by lead-off man Austin Yant, followed by a hit-and-run single by Rivers put runners on the corner. When Rivers stole second and Joe Keween walked, the bases were loaded for No. 9 hitter Wade Verhoff.
Verhoff, playing for Dom Romero, hit the ball in the hole at short for an infield single, bringing Yant home and moving the runners up 90 feet. Austin Hancock was then plunked to send Rivers home for an easy RBI, before Keween scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Gentile. Zeigler sent Gentile home with a RBI single, before Derek Turner scored Zeigler on a base knock to center.
When the dust settled DHS led 6-0, more than enough runs for Rivers. The lefty struck out eight ‘Riders at one stretch, while finishing with 10 Ks. Rivers allowed just two hits, both singles, while walking three and giving up one unearned run in improving to 5-0.
“Weston pitched a very good game, he had us off-balance pretty much from the start,” commented St. Marys mentor Dave Huber. “I think at one time he struck out seven or eight in-a-row, and that was that. We got a lead-off hit to start the game (by Nathan Vogel), we thought we might get something going, but he just shut the door on us.”
Said Rivers: “I got in the groove early, but somehow I got out of it and started getting behind hitters. My knuckleball was on early, that was good, but I was having some issues with the curve. But, I’ll get back to work and come back ready for the next one.”
Held stated that after the Bulldogs got the lead, he wanted his lefty to work on his curve so it will be more effective as the season moves on.
“We experimented a little bit today with Weston, but early on he was dominant with his fastball and the knuckleball,” Held said. “We wanted to mix in some curves after we got the lead, that’s a weapon that he’ll need, but after he struggled with it, he fell out of his rhythm. It’s all about trying to help Weston get better down the road.”
Zeigler led Defiance with a single and double, Gentile scored three times and Verhoff finished with a pair of singles and a walk in reaching base three times.
The Bulldogs are back in action on Thursday when they welcome Toledo Central Catholic to Booster Field, before hitting the road Friday at face Van Wert in WBL play.

                                           Linescore
St. Marys     000  100  0  -  1    2  0
Defiance      150  100  x  -  7  10  0
Records: Defiance 16-0 (4-0 WBL), St. Marys 2-11 (1-3 WBL).
Winning pitcher: Weston Rivers (6 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 10 strikeouts, 3 walks). Other: Mazen Kanouh.
Losing pitcher: Codie Deaton (2 innings, 6 runs, 8 hits, 0 strikeouts, 1 walk). Other: Austin James.
Leading hitters: (St. Marys, 2 hits). (Defiance, 10 hits) - Dom Gentile double, 3 runs; Rob Zeigler single, double; Wade Verhoff 2 singles.