SANFORD — Ray Magnant had a simple message for his Biddeford High hitters Saturday: stay aggressive.

Brook Davis obviously paid attention. Davis hit a double, triple and home run to back the pitching of Kirsten Lebreux as the third-ranked Tigers beat second-seeded Sanford 7-2 in a Class A South softball semifinal.

Davis scored three runs and drove in three to lead Biddeford to its first regional championship game since 2008.

“We told them if they saw (a pitch) they liked, go get it,” said Magnant. “And that’s what we did.”

The Tigers (14-4) will play top-ranked Scarborough (18-0) at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Class A South final at St. Joseph’s College. The Red Storm beat Biddeford 4-3 on May 27.

This was as complete a game as the Tigers played all season, getting clutch hits, steady defense and outstanding pitching from Lebreux.

“We flat-out played today,” said Magnant. “We came in focused. There’s no negative at all. I thought everyone did a nice job.”

Using her change-up effectively, Lebreux gave up six hits and only one walk – only three hits after the first inning.

“We wanted to change speeds, throw them off, keep them guessing,” said Davis, the catcher. “I’d say it worked.”

“She kept us off-balance,” said Sanford Coach Mike Bailey. “Everything was inside, tying us up. And that change-up kept us guessing a little bit. We were never truly comfortable in the batter’s box.”

Biddeford got two runs in the first. With Lebreux on second and two outs, Davis hit a fly to right that fell in. Lebreux scored and Davis made it to third for a triple. She scored on an error.

Sanford, which committed five errors, got one back in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Lauren Thompson, but left runners at second and third.

It was 4-2 Biddeford into the fifth. With one out and a runner on first, Davis hit a high, towering home run over the left-field fence to make it 6-1. It was her 11th home run of the season.

“You can’t say enough about Brooksie,” said Magnant. “In my eyes she’s the best player in the league. She’s got great ability and comes to play. She’s a kid who loves to play the game. It’s great to have a player like that.”

Her home run took some pressure off Lebreux. “I’ve never seen anyone hit it over that fence,” she said.

The Tigers are looking forward to the next step.

“It’s an amazing feeling to reach that level,” said Lebreux. “We’ve had that goal since the beginning of the season so it means a lot to our program.”

“We’ve got the program in a good spot,” said Magnant. “It’s another step in what we’re trying to do.”

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