BANGOR – One big inning and the defending Eastern Maine Class D champion Lee softball team is back in the regional final.

The No. 5 Pandas took advantage of walks and errors to rally in the fifth inning and knock off No. 1 Bangor Christian 10-3 Monday afternoon in a EM Class D semifinal at the high school field.

Lee will face No. 2 Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook in the Eastern Maine final at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Brewer’s Coffin Field.

The 15-4 Pandas will be trying for their fourth regional title since 2002. The Warriors are seeking their first since 1997.

Bangor Christian (14-4) and Lee split their games this year, with Lee beating BC 11-4 in the season-opener and losing 15-1 later in the year.

“We knew they were good and it was going to be a tough game,” Lee pitcher Brooke Harris said. “We just had to stay focused. I was really proud of my team.”

The Patriots took a 3-1 lead on the strength of RBI singles from Cala Dearborn and Bekah Smith and a Morgan Chasse RBI triple.

But the Pandas bats – and patience at the plate – started to come around in the fourth inning, when Laci McLaughlin drew a two-out bases-loaded walk for a run.

The Patriots got out of the inning without any more damage, but their luck didn’t last.

Amanda Gifford led off the fifth with a walk. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a Brooke Harris single.

BC coach Robert Leathers replaced starter Megan Mishou after Harris’ hit but reliever Jillian French walked three in a row and Lee took a 6-3 lead.

“I think [Mishou] was getting a little overheated throwing a lot of pitches,” Robert Leathers said. “We wanted to give her a break, try to spell her a little. It didn’t work. … We didn’t get the pitching we needed and we didn’t get the fielding we needed.”

Mishou reentered but continued to struggle, allowing a two-run single by Kerri Harris and a line-drive single. The Pandas wound up with eight runs in the inning for a 9-3 lead.

Brooke Harris had an RBI single in the seventh.

The Pandas were pleased with their clutch hitting.

“We hadn’t been getting the big hits with the bases loaded lately,” said Gifford, who singled, scored two runs and walked twice. “We were pumped after the first few walks to tie it up. We had a lot of confidence at the plate.”

Christin Pelletier and Dearborn hit back-to-back singles in the sixth but Pelletier was a double-play victim at home after Lee center fielder Kristin Bird caught a fly ball and threw the ball to catcher Aarika Ritchie for the second out of the inning.

Brooke Harris recorded two of her five strikeouts in the seventh inning. First-pitch strikes were key, she said.

“I threw my fastball to try to get ahead in the count so I could work in my curve and my changeup to get some strikeouts,” Harris said. “That was the most important thing for me today.”

Amber Leathers also doubled for Bangor Christian.

PANDAS 10, PATRIOTS 3

Lee (15-4) Bangor Christian (14-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Gifford, 1b 3 2 1 0 Hutchins, cf 4 0 0

B. Harris, p 5 2 3 2 Sargent, rf 4 0 0

Ritchie, c 4 1 0 1 Leathers, c 4 0 0

Moors, 2b 4 2 0 1 Hall, lf 3 1 0

Bird, cf 1 1 1 0 Pelletier, 3b 3 0 0

K. Harris, ss 4 0 1 2 Dearborn, 1b 2 1

Houghton, 3b 4 0 1 0 Chasse, 2b 2 1 1

McLaughlin, lf 3 1 1 1 Smith, dh 2 1

Arbo, rf 0 0 0 0 Miller, ss 3 0 0

Li. Cropley, rf 2 1 0 0

La. Cropley, ph 0 0 0 0

Totals 30 10 8 7 Totals 27 3 10 3

Lee 000 180 1 – 10

Bangor Christian 010 200 0 – 3

E-Sargent, Chasse, Miller; LOB-Lee 8, Bangor Christian 5; 2B-Leathers; 3B-Chasse; DP-Bird-Ritchie; Mishou-Dearborn; SB-Gifford 2; Hall, Hutchins

Lee IP H R ER BB SO

B. Harris (15-4) 7 10 3 3 2 5

Bangor Christian IP H R ER BB SO

Mishou 7 8 7 3 5 5

French (L, 7-1) 0* 0 3 2 3 0

HBP-La. Cropley by Mishou; WP-Mishou 5; PB-Ritchie 2; T-1:51; ATT-150 (est.)

*faced three batters in the fifth