By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Orlando Monarchs took advantage of a jetlagged Atlanta Smoke to snatch a 4-3 victory in game one of the Don’t Blink Sports Entertainment’s Queen of Paradise Women’s Professional Softball Series.

The Monarchs, who arrived in town on Wednesday, used the extra day to prepare for the first of the three-game series against the Smoke, who only arrived hours before it was time to take to the makeshift softball field at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium. 

In jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Allie Skaggs, the Monarchs held off the late surge by the Storm last night.

“It was awesome. This was our first game, so we had the jitters, but we worked through it and we got the W,” said Orlando’s Kyleigh Sand. “It was a lot of fun being out here.”

Having played in the Mexican Women’s Softball League last year, Sand said she was accustomed to playing on the article turf, similar to the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.

“But it’s awesome that we could get into this stadium and get the resources that we were provided,” Sand said. “So it was just great that they are supporting women’s sports.”

And having secured the initial win in the series, Sand said the Monarchs will cherish their accomplishment so far, but she admits that they have to now get ready for the remaining two games. For the Smoke, Anamarie Bruni admitted that still feeling the jetlag, they had to battle through the adversity, but they won’t use it as an excu=se.

“We struggled to string things together,” she said. “But we have each other’s back and we will come out strong in game two.”

Bruni said Atlanta will come back tonight and bring the high energy and play the “Smoke” way.

“We still played well for the adversities we faced,” she pointed out. “We have to take advantage of the situation. We made too many timely errors and left too many runners on base. We all recognize that and will come out stronger in game two.”

After 

The Monarchs extended their 2-0 lead by scoring another run in the second and the winning run in the fifth. The Smoke responded with their first run in the second, one in the fifth and their final one in the seventh.

After the Smoke got the bases loaded in the seventh, the Monarchs tightened up their defense and only managed to give up one run to preserve the win. 

The Smoke came close to at least tying the score with a runner on third with two out, but their batter at the plate got struck out to end the game.

Players from both teams will participate in a clinic today before they engage in game two at 7 pm. The series will wrap up on Saturday at 7 pm just before a local co-ed game is played at 5 pm.