CLERMONT, Fla. -- After two days off, the Fredonia State Blue Devils were back in action Thursday at The Spring Games. The Blue Devils (1-10) battled Hood College before falling, 7-5, in the first of two games at Hancock Park. The bats fell silent later in the day in a 4-0 loss to Wisconsin LaCrosse.

After a slow start offensively in the opener, the Blue Devils broke through for a run in the fourth on the a single by Alyssa Santiago, a two-base throwing error, and an RBI single by Amber Piniewski. Fredonia State loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth but failed to score, then scored twice in the sixth and twice more in the seventh. The sixth-inning uprising was fueled by consecutive doubles by Emily Chelius, Alyssa Piniewski, and Hannah Mezzoprete. In the seventh, a Hood error preceded a triple by Amber Piniewski and a double by Nicole Kumro. 

Chelius was the losing pitcher despite a solid outing which saw her pitch into the seventh. Vanessa Galbraith pitched one innng of relieef before returning to the circle as the starter against Wisconsin LaCrosse. Galbraith pitched well but was no match for Ally Eden, who retired 20 straight Blue Devils before Amber Piniewski singled sharply to center to break up Eden's potential perfect game with two outs in the seventh inning.

Fredonia State closes out its Florida trip Friday with three games -- 10:15 a.m. vs. Wooster and 12:30 vs. St. Scholastica at Sleepy Hollow complex in Leesburg, Fla., followed by a return to Hancock Park in Clermont and a date with Carthage College.