BREWER – Tuesday’s Eastern Maine Class D softball final between the No. 5 Lee Academy Pandas and second-ranked Van Buren was an equal-opportunity game.

While the Pandas took advantage of their early scoring opportunities, the Crusaders simply couldn’t capitalize on their chances with a timely hit, and it wound up costing them in the end.

Brooke Harris only allowed two baserunners after the third inning – one of whom was picked off first base – and the Pandas punched their ticket to Saturday’s 4 p.m. state final in Standish with a 10-0 triumph over the third-seeded Crusaders at Coffin Field.

Lee improves to 13-7 and meets the winner of today’s WM final between Buckfield and Richmond.

Harris settled down after escaping a two-on, nobody-out jam in the bottom of the second. She sandwiched a strikeout of Lindsay Lajoie between a fielders’s choice and a nubber back to the mound to end the threat.

When asked how she keeps her composure in such a situation, Harris said, “I just try not to think about it, I just take it a batter at a time and try and get the next girl.”

Harris’ final line was three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts, and she helped her cause with a single, two walks and two runs scored.

She put the clamps on the heart of the Crusaders’ order, holding Nos. 3-4-5 batters Karie Ouellette, Kristen Vaillancourt and Kristal Deschaines to a combined 1-for-7.

“We got a good scouting report from some other good coaches. We knew that the top 3-4 hitters had been smacking the ball pretty hard,” said Harris.

She said it was imperative to attack the strike zone and not only keep the Crusaders’ hitters off-balance, but let her infielders make plays behind her.

“I just knew I had to throw strikes,” Harris said. “My fastball and curve were working well today.

“They did a really good job today, and they stepped up and made all the plays we needed [them] too,” said Harris of her infield’s defensive effort.

The Pandas jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first, taking advantage of two errors and two walks.

Van Buren pitcher Megan Lajoie was solid through the first two innings, getting four strikeouts – all looking.

“I think that was the case where the kids weren’t accustomed to her,” Lee coach Ron Weatherbee said. “Once things got rolling, we started to put the ball in play.”

The Pandas pushed across a run in the third on the first of Aarika Ritchie’s two RBI doubles, and added another in the fourth on a Katelyn Mallett steal of home before putting it away with three runs in the fifth. Morgan McGraw knocked in two of them with a single, and Mallett added an RBI single.

After getting its first look at Lajoie, Lee was much more aggressive at the plate, and taking fewer first-pitch strikes.

“The second time through people started to put the bat on the ball, and were very aggressive,” Weatherbee said.

Coach Jay Edgecomb said Van Buren (13-4), knowing Harris would eventually settle in, would need a timely hit. The Crusaders they just couldn’t get one.

“It’s not that we didn’t hit the ball, [it] just went right at people,” said Edgecomb. “I was proud of my girls, they got out there and swung the bat.”

Lajoie, who scattered six hits while walking eight and striking out eight, singled along with Vaillancourt and Brittney Bard for Van Buren.

PANDAS 10, CRUSADERS 0

(xxx Afternoon, xx innings)

Lee Academy (13-7) Van Buren (13-4)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Gifford, 1b 4 1 0 0 M. Lajoie, p 3 0 0

Harris, p 3 2 1 0 LaPlante, 3b 3 0 0

Bird, ss 2 3 0 0 Ouellette, ss 2 0 0

Ritchie, c 2 1 2 2 Vaillancourt, 1b 3 0

Houghton, 3b 4 0 0 0 Deschaines, c 2 0 0

McGraw, 2b 3 1 1 2 Richard, rf 2 0 0

Dow, ph-2b 1 0 0 0 Gervais, ph-rf 1 0 0

Mallett, cf 3 1 2 1 L. Lajoie, 2b 3 0 0

Arbo, lf 2 0 0 0 M. Ouellette, ph 1 0

Parks, ph-lf 1 0 0 0 J. Ouellette, lf 2 0

Burrill, rf 1 1 0 0 Smith, ph-lf 1 0 0

Jipson, ph-rf 1 0 0 0 Bard, cf 2 0

Totals 27 10 6 5 Totals 25 0 3 0

Lee Academy 201 133 0 – 10

Van Buren 000 000 0 – 0

E-Houghton; M. Lajoie, L. Lajoie 2; LOB-Lee 5, Van Buren 5; 2B-Ritchie 2; SH-Harris; SB-Bird, Mallett 2, Harris; CS-Mallett; Ouellette

Van Buren IP H R ER BB SO

M. Lajoie (L) 7 6 10 5 8 8

Lee Acad. IP H R ER BB SO

Harris (W) 7 3 0 0 2 7

PB-Deschaines; T-1:25; ATT-250 (est.)