The Daily Inter Lake

LIBBY - Kootenai Valley wrapped up the Northern Conference of the Western District regular-season American Legion Class A baseball title on Tuesday by splitting a doubleheader with Libby.

Kootenai Valley, 10-2, rode a strong pitching effort by Ryan Holder in the opener for a 3-1 victory. Libby came back to win the second game, 13-8.

"The first game was a good old fashioned pitchers' duel," Libby coach Kelly Morford said.

"Then it came down to who would make the first mistake on defense and it was us."

Holder had 13 strikeouts in the opener, while Libby mound standout Colt Cannon recorded 12 in picking up the loss.

Cannon, who went 1-for-4 in the first game, went hitless in the second game in two trips to the plate, ending his 15-game hitting streak.

"Give credit to Eureka," Morford said. "They played well."

Libby hosts Mission Valley today, 5 p.m.

Kootenai Valley 000 010 02 - 3 8 1

Libby 000 100 00 - 1 2 3

Ryan Holder, Josh Soderling (8) and Klinton Chupp; Colt Cannon and Micah Germany. W - Holder. L - Cannon.

KOOTENAI VALLEY- Chad Price 2-3, Kade Davis 0-4, Bryton Guckenberg 0-4, Holder 2-4, Colin Gillard 1-4, Chupp 1-3, Jacob Grove 0-4, Alex Lesowski 1-3, Soderling 1-3.

LIBBY - Dustin Morningstar 1-4, Chris Herbig 0-1, Cannon 1-4, Joe Coker 0-4, Derek Willis 0-3, Clay Smith 0-2, Germany 0-3, Eric Riddle 0-3, Eric Grotjohn 0-1.

2B-Holder; RBIs-Soderling, Lesowski; Smith.

Kootenai Valley 303 000 2 - 8 7 3

Libby 250 501 x - 13 8 4

Guckenberg, Lesowski (2), Davis (6) and Gillard; Herbig, Riddle (7) and Cannon. W - Herbig (3-5). L - Guckenberg.

KOOTENAI VALLEY - Chupp 1-4, Lance McMorrell 0-3, Guckenberg 0-1, Lesowski 1-2, Gillard 2-3, Caleb Curtiss 1-4, Grove 1-3, Soderling 1-3, Taylor Brown 0-3, Hunter Price 0-3.

LIBBY - Morningstar 1-2, Herbig 3-5, Cannon 0-2, Coker 0-1, Willis 0-2, Royce Hendrickson 0-1, Adam Stapley 1-3, Zach Watson 2-4, Riddle 1-3, Tate Wilson 0-3.

2B-Riddle; 3B-Herbig; RBIs-Guckenberg, Gillard (2), Grove; Morningstar, Herbig (3), Cannon, Coker, Willis, Stapley, Riddle.