Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Senior Writer and Northwest scout

COLUMBUS - Defiance used a big first inning and a dominant performance on the mound to reach the state finals for the second time in school history (won state in 1992).

The top-ranked Bulldogs will take on Jonathan Alder, which rolled past Cadiz Harrison Central 11-1 in the earlier Division II game. Those two teams met in the state semifinals in 2010 with Alder winning 5-0. Defiance eliminated Alder in the regional semis a year ago 14-4. 

In the first, the Bulldogs scored four runs, all coming with two outs. After a double play on a hit-and-run attempt, Defiance's starting pitcher Robert Zeigler drew a walk. Junior rightfielder Adam Schaffer singled to left and Defiance College recruit Austin Yant got plunked. Unsigned senior Dom Romero then drew a bases-loaded walk to put Defiance up 1-0 and set the stage for Lincoln Trail recruit Weston "Heff" Rivers. 

Rivers (pictured), known for his pitching, got the biggest hit of his career, a bases-clearing triple to right to put the Bulldogs on top 4-0. The ball was three feet away from being a grand slam, hitting right underneath the 318 sign on the 22-foot wall in right. 

“I couldn’t be prouder of the big lefty (Rivers), he’s really struggled at the plate the last month,” said Defiance head coach Tom Held. “We’ve stayed with him because he’s stayed with it. He works every day, and when he got that first-pitch fastball, he turned on it and hit it a long way.”

The four runs were enough for the Defiance ace. Zeigler went the distance allowing one unearned run on seven hits and three walks. The MLB draft hopeful struck out 14, nine coming on his filthy curveball. Zeigler moved to 10-0 on the season as he threw 119 pitches, 80 for strikes.

If this is Zeigler's last performance on the mound as a Bulldog, the righty finishes the season with 109 strikeouts in 62.2 innings with a 0.45 ERA.

Hoban cut into the deficit, scoring an unearned run in the third.  

Aaron Carin reached with one out and Cody Hargett followed with an infield single, Zeigler struck out Sean Trexler for the second out. Austin Farber followed with a slow roller up third that talented junior Dom Gentile got to, but his throw to first was high, which allowed Cain to score and Hargett to move to third. Zeigler then struck out Jordan Burns to end that threat.

The score remained 4-1 until the top of the fifth when Defiance College recruit Drake Jimenez came off the bench with two outs for the Bulldogs and Schaffer standing on second. Jimenez, who came in to pinch-hit for Rivers, ripped a Drew Lakos offering to left bringing Schaffer in to score, giving Defiance a four-run cushion again. 

Coach Held was asked what it meant to get the win today, and what it would mean to bring home a state championship.

“It means a lot to get this win today,” said Defiance mentor Tom Held, who earned his first win at state after three tries (2002 and 2010), “Bringing a state championship back to Defiance would mean so much, we have a very proud community, and Defiance High School baseball is just a piece of that. Our slogan is: ‘No one is bigger than the program,’ so to have the chance to play in that last game of the season, it means a lot to a lot of people.” 

Defiance's defense was stellar again as it has been all season. Unsigned senior catcher Joe Keween (runner getting thrown out on left) threw out two runners and left fielder Romero (pictured right) made a diving play to close out the game













At the plate Hoban was led by unsigned senior Anthony Osmun, who was 3-for-3 against Zeigler. Osmun has some serious baseball knowledge as this is what he said when asked how he did that against a pitcher of Zeigler's caliber.

“I knew coming in he was a heck of a pitcher, a big-time recruit," stated Osmun. "My approach was to hit the fastball and if it was a curve don't swing unless there are two strikes. I got lucky three times. There's not much secret. Attack the fastball and skip the curveball.” 

On the mound, Hoban's starter Lakos battled through 6.1 innings allowing five runs (four in the first) on five hits and four walks, while striking out seven.

"Drew pitched phenomenal from that point on," Hoban coach Jim Diestel said about his senior right-hander after the first inning. "We just couldn't get that two-out hit. We do that and it's 4-2 or 4-3 and its a different game than 5-1."

LINESCORE

Defiance           400 010 0 - 5 9 1

Akron Hoban    001 000 0 - 1 7 1

Records: Defiance 30-1, Akron Hoban 20-11.

Winning pitcher: Rob Zeigler (7 innings, 1 run, 7 hits 14 strikeouts, 3 walks). 

Losing pitcher: Drew Lakos (6.1 innings, 5 runs, 8 hits, 7 strikeouts, 4 walks). Other: Drew Kline.

Leading hitters: (Defiance, 9 hits) - Austin Hancock 2 singles; Weston Rivers triple, 3 RBI; Joe Keween single, double. (Akron Hoban, 7 hits) - Anthony Osmun 2 singles, double.