Kootenai Valley, Lakers A split doubleheader

EUREKA - A pair of knockdown dragout battles might be the best way to describe Sunday's Kootenai Valley-Kalispell Laker A American Legion doubleheader.

The Rangers won the first game, 4-3, but Kalispell bounced back to pick up a 9-6 win in nine innings in the second game.

Ryan Holder - in his third game back after suffering a torn ACL during high school basketball season - had the go-ahead RBI and picked up the win on the mound in the first game for Kootenai Valley (7-14, 2-5).

Luke LaFontaine struck out eight batters in six innings of work for Kalispell.

The Rangers tied the second game in the bottom of the seventh, but committed two errors in the top of the ninth - and it cost them three Laker runs.

It was just a great game, back and forth," said Kootenai Valley coach Brent Holder.

"I thought both teams pitched well. We just made a couple little mistakes and they got those runs on us," he said.

Dawson Day struck out nine Ranger batters in eight innings in the second game. Kootenai Valley makes the trip to Kalispell on Tuesday for one 9-inning game.

Kootenai Valley 4, Lakers 3

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Kootenai Valley 002 101 x - 480

Luke LaFontaine and Robert Simmons. Dalton Smith, Ryan Holder (4) and Gallen Sullivan, Kade Davis (6). W - Holder (1-1). L - LaFontaine.

Kalispell - Charlie Obermiller 0-3, Robbie Krueger 1-3, Hank McLeod 0-3, Simmons 1-2, Andrew Wheeler 0-3, Dawson Day 0-2, Nathan Calles 0-3, Jake Johnson 0-1, Dylan Torgerson 1-3.

RBI - Simmons 2.

Kootenai Valley - Kade Davis 1-4, C.J. Henrie 2-4, Bryton Guckenberg 2-3, Garrett McNeil 0-4, Dalton Smith 0-3, Steven Eash 0-4, Gallen Sullivan 0-2, Mark Good 2-3, Nick Rackley 0-1, Ryan Holder 1-1.

2B -Guckenberg. RBI - Guckenberg, Good, Holder.

Lakers 9, Kootenai Valley 6 (9 innings)

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Kootenai Valley 001 300 200 - 672

Day, Krueger (9) and Skylar Brown, Simmons (7). Davis, Guckenberg (4), Holder (6), McNeil (9) and Sullivan, McNeil (4), Eash (8). W - Krueger. L - McNeil (1-3).

Kalispell - Obermiller 1-4, Zach Personett 2-5, McLeod 0-4, Simmons 1-5, Shelton Todd 2-5, Evan Eickert 1-4, Calles 1-3, LaFontaine 1-5, Brown 1-4, Day 0-1.

2B - Simmons. RBI - Personett, Todd, Eickert 1.

Kootenai Valley - Davis 0-4, Henrie 2-4, Guckenberg 2-5, Good 0-2, Holder 0-0, R.J. Glover 1-1, Smith 0-4, Jamie Soderling 0-1, Eash 0-3, Sullivan 0-0, McNeil 1-3, Rackley 1-3, Tyler Cummings 0-4.

RBI - Henrie, Guckenberg, Holder, McNeil, Rackley.