1918 Divisional Playoffs — Northern League
Kayenta flattens Payson, earns first Cactus Cup berth
Game Scores
Payson 4, Kayenta 2 — WP: Charley Hall
Kayenta 7, Payson 3 — WP: Rube Marquard
Kayenta 12, Payson 7 — WP: Ray Keating
Kayenta 7, Payson 3 — WP: Vic Aldridge
Kayenta 3, Payson 2 — WP: Rube Marquard
Life is good up on the Navajo Reservation these days. After years of futility, the Kayenta Turquoise Warriors have earned their first birth into the Arizona League's championship series. They dethroned the Northern League's most potent team in the process, reeling off four straight wins after losing to 29-game winner
Charley Hall in Game One.
Payson felt pretty good about its chances in Game Five, with Hall returning to the hill. The Longhorns took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, and Hall was mowin' em down. But Kayenta got one back in the bottom of the fourth and took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth. RF
Casey Stengel had a big single in the sixth to score 2B
Morrie Rath. LF
Josh Devore then scored 3B
Charlie Hollocher with an RBI single on the next at-bat.
From there pitcher
Rube Marquard held the powerhouse Longhorns down.
Del Paddock had an RBI single in the seventh for Payson but that was about it for offense the rest of the way. While Payson fans were in disbelief at their fate, Kayenta faithful held a huge pow-wow after the contest, a good chance for the Navajo reservation to show off its culture and heritage — and up-and-coming baseball team.
1B
George Burns had a fabulous series for Kayenta, batting .500. He was 4-for-4 in Game Four, with a triple and an RBI. Stengel batted .375 for the series.
Payson picked up a new leftfielder this past season,
Ward Miller, from Grand Canyon. He came in handy in the playoff series, batting .429 with two doubles. But aside from Miller and CF
Tris Speaker (two triples, three RBIs, .313 average), no one else really stepped up big for the shell-shocked Horns....