EAST LANSING — Two rarities happened in the first inning of the MHSAA Division 2 softball championship game Saturday at Michigan State’s Secchia Stadium.

The first was Escanaba all-state pitcher Gabi Salo allowed a walk against Stevensville Lakeshore. The second was Salo gave up a run.

Salo entered the championship game with a 25-2 record, 0.24 earned run average and 337 strikeouts and just 21 walks.

If that is not enough, she had given up only six earned runs all year.

She gave up three runs — two earned — in the championship game, but contained the Lancers enough to secure a 7-3 victory that clinched the Eskymos’ second straight Division 2 title.

The Lancers surprisingly struck early when Salo surrendered a two-out walk, and Meghan Younger drove her home on a double just out of the reach of the centerfielder. It was just the seventh earned run Salo had given up this season.

She finished Saturday with 11 strikeouts while allowing seven hits. Escanaba finished the spring 34-3, while Lakeshore ended 33-11.

Salo helped her own cause in the second inning with a game-tying sacrifice fly, scoring Lexi Chaillier, who had walked, stolen second base and was sacrificed to third.

Escanaba took advantage of two walks and a bounce out to first by Chaillier to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Younger was able to solve Salo with two singles and a double, but her teammates mostly were stifled until the sixth.

Meanwhile, Escanaba loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning with one out on a walk and singles by Heather Bergstrom and Carsyn Segorski.

Chaillier popped out, but Nicole Kamin and the Eskymos took advantage of a fly ball dropping out of an outfielder’s mitt that allowed three runs to score and gave the reigning champ a 5-1 lead.

A four-run cushion with three innings left was all Salo needed.

Lakeshore put together a threat in the top of the sixth inning on a single by Younger and fielder’s choice and error by Salo.

Shelby Grau singled, but right fielder Chaillier threw out a Lakeshore runner at home to negate a potential run. However, Anna Chellman came through with a two-run single to left field to make it 5-3.

Escanaba sealed the win in the bottom of the sixth inning when a Lakeshore wild pitch allowed two runs to score.