Hózhó Academy, Rehoboth split doubleheader

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP

Hózhó Academy and Rehoboth Christian remained at the top of District 1-2A standings after splitting a doubleheader Saturday afternoon, setting up a tight finish to the regular season.

Hózhó Academy (18-8, 9-1) and Rehoboth (14-5, 7-1) each picked up a win in the two-game series, leaving the district title to be decided in the final week.

Rehoboth took the opener 6-4 behind a strong outing from senior Jonathan Zylstra, who held the Wolves to four runs on nine hits and ended Hózhó’s five-game stretch of double-digit scoring. Both teams traded runs early. Senior first baseman Kodah Chapman drove in the first run for Rehoboth with an RBI groundout, which scored baserunner Trajen West.

Hózhó answered on a run-scoring single from sophomore Keihin Kirk.

The game stayed even through the middle innings before Rehoboth broke through in the sixth. Sophomore designated hitter Mason Johnson hit a run-scoring double, and senior Josiah Becksvoort followed with an RBI single to give the Lynx a 4-2 lead. Rehoboth added two more runs in the seventh on a Zylstra double and a sacrifice fly by Chapman to extend the lead to 6-2. Hózhó made a push in its final at-bat. Sophomore Philip Elkins drove in two runs with a double to cut the deficit to 6-4 and finished with three RBIs, but the rally ended there.

The second game shifted quickly. Hózhó responded with eight runs in the first inning and went on to a 12-4 win to split the series. The Wolves took advantage of early mistakes and timely hitting, sending multiple batters to the plate in the opening frame. Kirk, Elkins, Wyatt Piano and freshman right fielder Nico Cousens each drove in runs as Hózhó built an 8-1 lead. Rehoboth’s only early run came on a sacrifice fly by Chapman. The Lynx were unable to generate consistent offense against Hózhó’s pitching and left runners on base in later innings. Hózhó added runs in the fifth and sixth and finished with 12 hits and 10 RBIs without a strikeout.

Hózhó head coach Jimmy Gonzalez said the team responded after the loss in the opener.

“I told them we needed a short memory,” Gonzalez said. “After that first game, it was quiet in the dugout. We had to regroup and not dwell on it. In the second game, we did a much better job putting the ball in play.”

Rehoboth head coach Ken Zylstra pointed to his team’s pitching and defense in the opener.

“Jonathan threw a great game,” Zylstra said. “He kept the ball down, worked ahead in the count and we made the routine plays behind him.”

He said the early deficit in the second game was difficult to overcome.

“They put up a big inning on us, and it’s tough to come back from that,” he said. “But outside of that, we battled. If we see them again, we know what we need to do.”

The doubleheader also marked a milestone for Hózhó Academy, which honored its first senior class in what could be its final home appearance. With the split, both teams remain in contention for the district title.

Hózhó Academy closed out the regular season with a pair of wins over Oak Grove Classical Academy on Tuesday night while Rehoboth also swept Laguna Acoma (13-8,4-4). The Lynx has a doubleheader against Navajo Pine (1-14, 1-7) on Saturday.

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