Rehoboth Christian shuts out Tucumcari to advance in 2A state tournament

By Truman Begaye
Special to the Times

GALLUP

The Rehoboth Christian Lynx kept their playoff run alive with a dominant 8-0 shutout over the Tucumcari Rattlers (8-11) in the opening round of the New Mexico Activities Association 2A State Baseball Championships on Wednesday afternoon at Ford Canyon Park.

Though the scoreboard stayed quiet through the first two innings, the Lynx eventually broke through with a burst of late offense, highlighted by a six-run fifth inning that buried any hopes of a Rattlers comeback.

“Guys getting on base bottom of the lineup, laying down bunts, putting some pressure on them and just kept rolling,” said Rehoboth coach Zen Zylstra. “We got some good hits—guys being disciplined at the plate, walking when they had to walk, and guys making clutch hits. That was a great inning for us.”

The early innings were marked by missed opportunities and disciplined fielding, as both teams combined for multiple strikeouts, walks, and stranded runners. It wasn’t until the bottom of the third that the Lynx found their rhythm.

Junior Trajen West ignited the offense with an inside-the-park home run that brought in junior Kodah Chapman for a 2-0 lead. After another scoreless inning and a half, Rehoboth blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth.

With the bases loaded, sophomore Sam Newell walked in the first run of the inning. West then drew a walk as well, bringing in another. Junior Josiah Becksvoort followed with a single to center field, scoring Chapman and Zylstra. Freshman Mason Johnson kept the rally alive with a line drive to left, allowing both Becksvoort and West to score.

Senior Zach VanDrunen capped off the scoring with a ground ball RBI to right field, bringing Newell across the plate and pushing the lead to 8-0.

The final two innings mirrored the start of the game—quick outs and shutdown defense. The Lynx preserved the shutout and secured their place in the quarterfinals, where they will face a familiar foe.

With the win, Rehoboth advances to face crosstown rival Hózhó Academy (20-4) in a much-anticipated quarterfinal matchup. The Wolves swept the regular-season series, winning both games against the Lynx, but Zylstra believes his team is ready for redemption.

“We got to get ready for them. They’re a great in-town team and they got us twice this year,” he said. “Now we get another chance to put it on them.”

Despite the strong win, Zylstra noted areas that still need improvement.

“Next week we got to work on making sure the guys know what the call is and making sure they execute,” he said. “We missed a few of those today and that potentially cost us a couple of runs.”

The Lynx will return to action on May 15 at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex, Field 3, for a 6:30 p.m. showdown against the Wolves with a semifinal berth on the line.

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