Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Senior Writer and Northwest scout

DEFIANCE - On a beautiful Thursday evening in Northwest Ohio two talented leftys dueled as Division II No. 3 Defiance (2-0) and Division I No. 35 Findlay (3-1) squared off at Booster Field. Lincoln Trail recruit Weston Rivers proved too much for the Trojans as the Bulldogs topped Findlay, 7-1. 

Defiance got off to a great start in the first as Robert Zeigler (Kentucky University recuit) blasted a two-run HR to left off of Trojan starter Jimmy Orwick (Notre Dame recruit). The HR came on an 87 mph fastball that stayed up in the zone, and Zeigler got on top and roped a line shot to left.

DHS grabbed a 4-0 lead an inning later after taking advantage of a Findlay error. With one out, Alek Smith hit a grounder to Orwick, who turned and threw high to first baseman Dietrich Hinesman. Hinesman wasn’t able to hold onto the throw before falling down, which allowed Smith to cruise into second base. Talented junior shortstop Austin Hancock followed with a single to move Smith to third, before he advanced to second with a stolen base. Junior left-handed hitter Adam Schaffer then singled to left to score Smith to give the home team a 3-0 lead, bringing Ziegler back to the plate. With two strikes, Zeigler singled on an outside pitch for Orwick to right to drive home Hancock, putting the 'Dogs up 4-0.

In the third inning a couple of web gems kept Findlay off the basepaths. A slow roller off the bat of Brad Johnson up the first baseline with one out looked like trouble, but unsigned senior catcher Joe Keween made a solid play to gun down Johnson for the second out. When Wyatt Krupp followed with a “swinging bunt,” Rivers (nicknamed Heff) was quick off the mound before bare-handing the ball and firing to first for the third out of the frame.

The Bulldogs chased Orwick out of the game in the fourth inning with three more runs. Hancock scored from third, when he slid under the tag of catcher Tim Koch on a play where Zeigler was stealing second and the throw went to the shortstop. Athletic second baseman Derek Turner's RBI single and a RBI single by  talented junior third baseman Dom Gentile pushed the lead to 7-0 after four innings. 

The Bulldogs brought in unsigned senior closer Mazen Kanouh who set down the Trojans 1-2-3 to finish up.

The run support was more than enough for Rivers, who was mowing the previously unbeaten Trojan team down. Rivers went six innings allowing just one run (in the 6th inning). Rivers allowed just two hits and two walks, while striking out six. Rivers looked like a shutdown ace for the Bulldogs on Thursday with an 84-85 mph fastball, topping out at 87. The lefty also featured a nasty and I mean nasty knuckleball at 75 mph that the Trojans did not touch once. Rivers threw the knuckle a little more than 30% of the time.