WESTBROOK — A three-game losing streak to start the season seems like so long ago for Biddeford, which has now won eight straight games after beating Westbrook 7-1 in an SMAA softball game Monday.

The Tigers broke through for five runs in the second inning, as they jumped on Westbrook starter Kayla Tibbetts. Erin Martin led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a double down the third-base line from Jocelyn Moody. After Tibbetts struck out Sara Scott looking, the Tigers reeled off four consecutive hits. Katie Plante dropped a single behind the third base bag to drive home Moody, then advanced to third on a bad throw by the left fielder. Mariah Albert then hit an infield single to short to bring home Albert, and Katelyn Lebreux followed with a two-run home run to left-center, which a friendly wind pushed over the fence.

“I ran all the way to third, straight sprinting, and then I slowed it up the rest,” Lebreux said.

Abbie Paquette hit a hard single up the middle to knock Tibbetts out of the game, but Allie Lemay came on in relief and struck out Alyssa Baldino to end the inning.

That early run support helped out Paquette on the circle, but she made it look like she didn’t need it. The Tigers’ ace had a one-hitter going into the fifth inning. The one hit was a liner to second that Martin appeared to catch, but dropped as she lifted her glove off the dirt, and it was ruled no catch.

“We rely on her just as much as she relies on us,” Lebreux said about Paquette’s solid pitching and the Tigers’ reliable defense working hand in hand.

The Tigers tallied two more runs in the fourth, as they took advantage of some Westbrook miscues. With one out, Albert hit a bloop to shallow left, and Blazes shortstop Katie Clark got under it. Albert stormed out of the batter’s box on contact and made it to second with no one covering the base. Lebreux then drove home Albert with a single up the middle. Lebreux advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored two batters later when Emily Thornton couldn’t hold onto Baldino’s shallow fly to center.

Westbrook got to Paquette in the sixth, but mustered only one run. Mikaela Carey drew a walk to lead off the inning ”“ the lone free pass issued by Paquette ”“ and moved to second when Clark grounded a single up the middle. Thornton loaded the bases with a hit to right, as Albert got to the ball quickly to hold Carey at third. Paquette struck out Emma Berry looking on a 3-2 pitch for the first out of the inning, but the Blazes finally plated a run on a sacrifice grounder to second by Kerigan Demers. Paquette then got out of the inning as Lemay then also grounded out to second.

Paquette finished strongly, as she got pinch hitter Dana Ledue to ground out to lead off the bottom of the seventh before striking out the final two batters to end the game.

“It was a very solid team effort. Hitting, running the bases, mentally being into the game, cheering each other on, Abbie throwing strikes,” said Biddeford head coach Leon Paquin. “When we do that, we’re pretty good.”

Paquette gave up just four hits while striking out nine. She began the game by retiring 14 of the first 15 Westbrook batters, and finished by retiring the final six.

“We were ready for this game from the start. We had a quiet bus ride. Everyone was focused,” Lebreux said. “Everyone was on their A game.”

“Mentally, we’re stronger this late into the season, which I’m very proud of,” said Paquin.

Lebreux said the team wasn’t as prepared mentally for games early in the season as they are now, but things have been different during the winning streak. The key to the streak, according to Paquin, has been pretty simple.

“Staying together,” Paquin said. “We’ve had some games where we struggled, and we didn’t play our A game. But when you stay together, and you still believe in yourselves, and you work hard, you can win some games.”

Biddeford will host Portland at 1 p.m. Saturday.

— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 323. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.