There’s been plenty of talk about Team Rainey’s new pitching staff for 2005 of Bricklin Anderson, Sonny Perkins and Tony Hunhoff. Little known to many people, though, one of their position players, Jesse Duncan is a fine pitcher in his own right. In seasons past, Duncan pitched for Team Rainey at the Portland Rose Cup tournament, picking up wins against open level competition. Earlier this year, he pitched the Panteras to an Alliance weekend tournament title, including a championship game win over the current league leaders, Primetime Fastpitch. Last night in the Artesia city league, the Black Sox were his latest victim. Duncan fanned 16 in 6 innings, including 11 in a row at one stretch. Andy Martinez had a single and Robert Renteria two hits for the only Black Sox offense in the game, won by Duncan’s Raider team, 3-1. As dominant as Duncan was, the game was actually on the line in the last inning, when a dropped third strike and Renteria double put the tying runs at second and third with two outs. But Duncan then registered his 16th strikeout of the night to put down the rally.
Meanwhile, off in the distance, on the other field at Artesia Park, was another Team Rainey position player working in the pitcher’s circle, the team’s namesake, Rod Rainey, pitching his second game in as many weeks. Hey, how ’bout leaving something for us guys that can’t hit 🙂