Tag: Ryan Beckman

Bradenton Marauders  6,  Charlotte Stone Crabs  2
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Three 2-run innings gave the Marauders enough fire power to get past the Stone Crabs and salvage the last game of this 3-game series.  Starter Kyle McPherson earned his second win of the season, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, no walks, in 7 innings of work.  The 7 innings matched his two previous longest starts this season.  Both of the Stone Crabs' runs came early in the game.  In the bottom of the 1st, a lead-off triple and an RBI ground out put the first run on the board.  A solo home run brought in the second run in the 2nd inning.  McPherson also gave up a double in the 1st, and a single in the 5th, and he hit one batter in the 3rd inning.  He finished strong by retiring the last 7 batters he faced, four of them on strikeouts.

The Marauders went into the 4th inning behind by a score of 2-0.  The only batter to reach base in the first three innings was SS Benji Gonzalez, who singled with two outs in the 3rd, but was picked off second base.  But the bats started booming in the 4th, beginning with a double into left field by RF Robbie Grossman and a triple by 2B Jarek Cunningham, scoring Grossman.  CF Evan Chambers' ground out single drove in Cunningham to tie the game.

3B Kelson Brown singled and Benji Gonzalez walked in the 5th inning, but a double play ended that attempt at a rally.  Cunningham and Chambers opened the 6th with back-to-back singles, and a missed catch error by the Charlotte shortstop on a pick-off attempt let both runners move up a base.  A fielding error by the second baseman on the next play off the bat of 1B Aaron Baker allowed both Cunningham and Chambers to score.  The Marauders took a 4-2 lead. Baker added 2 more insurance runs in the 8th inning with a 2-run home run shot over the right field wall.  He brought in Grossman, who had reached base on a fielding error at third base.  
 
The Stone Crabs did not score again after the 2nd inning.  Diego Moreno relieved McPherson to begin the 8th inning, and he walked one, gave up a single, and struck out two, keeping Charlotte scoreless.  Ryan Beckman took the 9th, and he also pitched a scoreless inning, with one walk.  

The Indianapolis Indians and the West Virginia Power both had scheduled days off today.  

Roster moves:
OF John Bowker, who was DFA'ed last week, has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Indianapolis Indians.
LHP Dan Meyer has been activated off the Indians' disabled list.
RHP Chris Leroux was moved to the Altoona Curve to make room for Meyer on the Indians' roster.   



Akron Aeros  6,  Altoona Curve  3
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Chris Leroux was sent down to Altoona, then was charged with the loss in his first game for the Curve.  The game began with Akron scoring 3 runs in the top of the 1st.  Mike Colla, making his second start of the season, gave up a walk, a single, and a walk to load the bases.  The next batter grounded to third, but a fielding error by 3B Jeremy Farrell let the lead runner score and left the bases still loaded.  A single and a sacrifice fly each added another run, for a 3-0 lead.  

The Curve got one run back in the 3rd inning.  DH Kris Watts led off with a double, and 1B Miles Durham's single put Watts on third base.  Two pop-outs later, Durham stole second base, then RF Eric Fryer walked to load the bases.  Just like the Aeros in the 1st inning, a grounder to third and an error by the third baseman let a run score.  But that was all the Curve could get, as they left the bases loaded.  The Curve loaded the bases again in the 4th inning, with back-to-back singles by 3B Shelby Ford (who took over for Farrell) and C Tony Sanchez, a balk, and a walk to Watts.  Durham's sacrifice fly drove in Ford, before a double play ended that inning.  Fryer tied the score at 3-3 in the 5th with a solo home run.  

Colla pitched 4 more innings after the 1st, and allowed just one batter to reach base -- a single in the 4th.  Then Sanchez threw that runner out trying to steal second base.  Matt McSwain pitched a 1-2-3 inning for the Curve in the 6th.  Leroux took the mound to begin the 7th.  The first batter he faced smacked a solo home run.  The next batter reached base on a missed catch error by Durham at first, and a double put two runners into scoring position.  A fielder's choice play was not fast enough, so let the runner from third score, and a sacrifice fly brought in the third run of the inning, for a 6-3 score.  Only one of the runs was earned.  

Anthony Claggett relieved Leroux to begin the 8th.  He gave up a walk, and that runner reached second base on a balk, and third base on a passed ball, but Claggett did not let him score.  Then he worked around a walk and a single in the 9th.  

SS Jordy Mercer and Ford both singled in the 5th inning after Fryer's homer, but both were left stranded.  Only one Curve batter reached base after the 5th.  Watts singled to lead off the 6th, but was erased in a double play.  

Sunday afternoon with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates....  the West Virginia Power were rained out in Charleston.  They will try for two games with the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Monday, beginning at 6:05 pm.


Altoona Curve  6,  Erie SeaWolves  5
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2B Brock Holt continued his hot hitting with two singles and a triple, as the Curve scored two runs in their last at-bat for the win.   The game began with each team scoring 2 runs in the 1st inning.  The SeaWolves began with a walk, a single, and a ground out, to put two runners into scoring position.  A double lined into center field drove in both runners.  Starter Aaron Thompson gave up another single, for runners on the corners, but he got out of the inning with a line out to third and a ground out.  

Holt got the Curve rally started with a lead-off triple into right field.  CF Starling Marte singled of the Erie third baseman's glove and into left field, bringing in Holt.  A balk moved Marte to second base, then he tagged up and advanced to third on a fly out.  SS Jordy Mercer's sacrifice fly plated Marte to tie the score at 2-2.  A fielding error in center kept Mercer on the bases, but he was thrown out as he tried to get all the way to third base.  The inning continued with 3B Jeremy Farrell hit by a pitch, then moving on to second with a stolen base and to third on a passed ball.  DH Tony Sanchez was also hit by a pitch, but a ground out ended the inning with the two still standing on the corners.  Two batters in a row being hit prompted the umpires to warn both benches.

The Curve took the lead in the 2nd inning, when C Eric Fryer singled, then RF Brad Chalk replaced him at first with a grounder force out.  Chalk stole second base, then scored on Marte's RBI single into center field.   

Thompson allowed only a one hit over the 2nd and 3rd innings, then gave up a run in the 4th on a single, a stolen base, and a very wild pitch, as Erie tied the score at 3-3.  

Fryer was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the 4th, and that resulted in both the Erie pitcher LJ Gagnier and the Erie manager Chris Cron to be ejected.  Fryer was left on base as the new reliever Jared Gayhart retired the next three batters.  But Gayheart began the 5th by hitting LF Quincy Latimore with a pitch (not sure why he wasn't also ejected).  Latimore was picked off first, though, and after a single by Mercer and a walk to Sanchez, Sanchez was also picked off first.  

The Curve took the lead again in the 6th.  1B Miles Durham singled, moved to second on Fryer's sacrifice bunt, on to third on a ground out, and scored on Holt's single lined into right field.  

Thompson finished with 6 innings of work, having allowed 3 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.  He was relieved by Anthony Claggett to begin the 7th, with the Curve ahead 4-3.  Claggett gave up two walks, but the first base runner was caught stealing, and the inning ended without a run scoring.  Michael Dubee took the mound to begin the 8th inning.  Dubee got a strike out, a ground out, and another strikeout -- but strike three went wild, and the batter reached first base safely.  Dubee walked the next batter, then a double scored both base runners, and Erie had a 5-4 lead, while Dubee had a Blown Save.

But the Curve batters rescued Dubee in the bottom of the frame.  Sanchez walked to begin the rally, and was bunted to second.  Chalk doubled, and Sanchez scored, then Holt singled for his third hit of the game, and combined with a throwing error by the shortstop on the relay throw, Chalk also scored, giving the Curve the lead again.  Dubee pitched a scoreless top of the 9th, and the Curve and Dubee had the win.  

Wednesday evening with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates:

West Virginia Power  7,  Hagerstown Suns  1...... suspended in the 2nd inning
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Jameson Taillon made his pro debut tonight in West Virginia, but Mother Nature made it shorter than might have been planned.  Taillon's first pitch was a strike, and the first batter singled to short.  He got a ground out, which moved the runner to second, then he walked the other phenom in the game -- Suns' RF Bryce Harper.  A double lined to right field brought in the lead runner and put Harper on third base.  Harper walked the next batter to load the bases, but a grounder to SS Drew Maggi started a double play, and Taillon was out of the inning, with only one run in.  

Maggi began the bottom of the inning with a walk, and a passed ball put him on second base.  2B Gift Ngoepe reached base on a throwing error, giving the Power runners on the corners.  DH Matt Curry's single up the middle plated Maggi.  1B Justin Howard moved both the runners into scoring position with a grounder to second, and RF Dan Grovatt brought both in with a double lined into left field.  

With rain falling, Taillon returned to the mound for the second inning.  He gave up a lead-off single, then got two consecutive force outs at second base.  A fly out ended that inning, giving Taillon one run on 3 hits and 2 walks over 2 innings, with no strikeouts.  

The Power added to their lead with 4 more runs in the 2nd.  LF Andy Vasquez and Maggi began the frame with back-to-back walks, and both scored on Curry's double.  Howard brought in Curry with a 2-run homer over the right field wall.  The Suns brought in a new pitcher, who gave up a walk to Gravatt and a double to CF Mel Rojas.  That's when the rain got crazy, and the game was delayed, then suspended.  The two teams will try to resume the game tomorrow at 6 pm, and that will be followed by a 7-inning game.

Happy Easter!

The Altoona Curve and the West Virginia Power have scheduled days off today.


Bradenton Marauders  6, Palm Beach Cardinals  3
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1B Aaron Baker gave the Marauders a boost with his grand slam in the 1st inning, and Jason Erickson won his first game of the season.  
 
Starter Quinton Miller began the game with two outs, then gave up a double and a single, to give the Cardinals one run.  The Marauders thundered back with 6 runs in the bottom of the frame, as the first 6 batters reached base before an out was recorded.  RF Robbie Grossman led off with a walk, then went to third when 2B Adalberto Santos doubled.  CF Evan Chambers walked to load the bases and set up Baker, who blasted a grand slam over the right field wall.  DH Calvin Anderson followed the home run with a single, then he advanced to third on C Ramon Cabrera's double.  After a ground out and a strikeout, SS Benji Gonzalez sent the Palm Beach starter to the showers with a 2-RBI single.  Grossman singled also, but a pop out ended the inning with the Marauders ahead 6-1. 

Then it started raining.... and the game was delayed for more than 2 hours.  When they did get back to business, Erickson took over on the mound for Miller.  Erickson pitched 4 innings, and had trouble in only one, the 4th.  He gave up a single, a double, a single, and a double, to give the Cardinals 2 runs.  With two runners in scoring position, Erickson maintained his composure to strike out the next two batters and get out of the inning.  Diego Moreno pitched the next two innings for Bradenton, allowing a walk and a wild pitch.  He also had a runner reach base due to a throwing error by Gonzalez, but erased that runner with a double play.  Ryan Beckman took the final two innings, and earned his 2nd save of the season, as he retired all 6 batters he faced, including a pair of strikeouts.

Baker did not stop hitting after the 1st inning, though the Marauders did not score again in the game.  He singled in the 2nd, and Anderson doubled behind him, but Baker was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice play.  LF David Rubinstein reached on a fielding error at short, loading the bases, but a ground out ended the inning without a run scoring.  Gonzalez was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice in the 3rd inning, after a walk, a stolen base, and a fly out.  The Marauders had two runners on base due to a single and a walk in both the 4th and 5th innings.  In the 4th, Rubinstein walked and 3B Elevys Gonzalez singled; in the 5th, Santos singled and Chambers walked.  Baker's third hit came in the 8th, when Chambers drove a ball off the glove of the Palm Beach right fielder.  Chambers rounded second and headed for third, but the center fielder was able to pick up the ball and fire it in to third, where Chambers was tagged out.  Baker singled after Chambers' hit, but was left on base.  

The Marauders posted a total of 12 hits.  Each member of the lineup reached base at least once, and Rubinstein was the only one without at least one hit.  

Friday night game action in the Pirates' lower minor leagues:

The West Virginia Power were rained out in Kannapolis tonight.  The Power and the Intimidators will play two on Saturday beginning at 6:05 pm.
The Power are expecting the Pirates' first round pick from the 2010 draft, Jameson Taillon, to be joining the team this weekend.  He should be making his pro debut for the Power sometime early next week.  

Altoona Curve  11,  Richmond Flying Squirrels  5
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The Curve broke a 5.5-inning-long 5-5 tie in the top of the 15th, to win this game in dramatic fashion.  They must have all been tired and ready to end it by then.  With one out, 1B Miles Durham singled and moved to second base on a balk.  LF Quincy Latimore also singled, and Durham scored the go-ahead run from second base.  But the Curve were not satisfied yet -- 3B Jeremy Farrell singled, and DH Eric Fryer doubled, driving in Latimore.  After a strikeout, 1B Brock Holt walked to load the bases, and CF Starling Marte blasted a triple into right field, clearing the bases for 3 more runs.  The Richmond right fielder made a wild throw in, allowing Marte to score too, and the Curve had a 6-run inning.  All that remained was for Noah Krol to take the mound in the bottom of the inning and finish off the Squirrels with a ground out, a walk, and a double play.  

Richmond had the early lead in the game.  Curve starter Jared Hughes retired the first 6 batters he faced, but began the 3rd by giving up 4 singles with only one out, scoring one run.  A walk forced in the second run of the inning, and another single added two more, for a 4-0 lead.  A double and a single gave the Squirrels one more run in the 5th, and that was all for Hughes.  

The Curve had only one hit over the first 5 innings, and that was a double by Fryer to lead off the 3rd.  They also had two walks (Holt and Latimore) and C Tony Sanchez was hit by a pitch in those innings, though none of them came around to score.  They got two runs back in the top of the 6th.  Marte led off with a walk, and after two outs, Durham's single brought in Marte.  Latimore doubled, plating Durham, and the Curve had cut the lead to 5-2.  

Sunday's action in the Pirates' lower minor leagues:

West Virginia Power  7,  Augusta Green Jackets  0
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Three Power pitchers powered up to shut out the Green Jackets.  Colton Cain made the start and earned his first win of the season.  He allowed just one hit and one walk in 6 innings.  Cain retired the first 9 Augusta batters in order, then gave up both the hit (a double) and a walk to begin the bottom of the 4th.  A double play and a pop out got Cain out of that little jam, then he retired 6 more batters to end his outing.  Kevin Decker allowed a single in each of his two innings, but maintained the shutout.  Ryan Beckman gave up two singles in the 9th, but left both on base to end the game.  

The Power began their scoring with an unearned run in the top of the 2nd.  C Elias Diaz reached on a fielding error in right field, then advanced to third base on RF Dan Grovatt's single.  2B Kevin Mort brought Diaz in with a sacrifice fly.  Grovatt led off the 5th with a walk.  He was forced out at second on Mort's grounder, though Mort avoided the double play and was safe at first.  LF Andy Vasquez plated Mort with a triple into right field.

The 6th was the big inning for the Power.  CF Mel Rojas and 1B Matt Curry started the frame with back-to-back singles, and after two outs, Diaz walked to load the bases.  Another walk to Grovatt forced in Rojas, then Mort drove in Curry and Diaz with a line drive single into center field.  The Power tacked on another run in the 7th, when SS Gift Ngoepe doubled, Rojas singled (his third hit of the game), and a fielder's choice on Curry's ball let Ngoepe score.  It was Curry's turn to double in the 9th, and he scored on Avila's RBI single.  

Losses all around in the Pirates' minor league organization:

Augusta Green Jackets  5,  West Virginia Power  3
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A 4-run 2nd inning by Augusta had the Power trying to catch up for most of the game.  With Zack Dodson getting the start, Augusta scored on two singles, a throwing error by 3B Eric Avila, a 2 RBI triple, and an RBI ground out.  Only two of the runs were earned.  Dodson retired the side in two other innings, and walked two batters in the 4th.  The Power posted 8 hits (to Augusta's 5 hits), and put runners on base in each of their first four innings but could not bring any of them around to score.  The top of the 5th began with back-to-back singles by LF Rogelios Noris and SS Gift Ngoepe.  2B Drew Maggi dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but a missed catch error by the Augusta first baseman put Maggi safe on first, moved Ngoepe to third, and allowed Noris to score.  Ngoepe scored on an RBI ground out.  

Dodson was relieved by Brooks Pounders to begin the bottom of the 5th.  Pounders surrendered another unearned run, on two singles, a passed ball, and a wild pitch in the 5th.  He retired the side in order in both the 7th and 8th innings.  Ryan Beckman retired the side in order in the 8th inning.  

The Power continued to put runners on base in each inning, and they scored again in the 8th.  RF Dan Grovatt walked, moved to second base on a ground out, and scored on DH Justin Howard's line drive single into left field.  Ngoepe also singled in the 3rd inning.  CF Mel Rojas singled three times:  in the 1st, the 3rd, and the 7th.  He also stole second base in the 1st. 

Altoona Curve 2,  Richmond Flying Squirrels  0
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The Altoona Curve put on a pitching demonstration in their home opener, as four pitchers combined for a shut-out and held the Squirrels to just 3 hits.  Aaron Thompson made the start, and he dominated Richmond.  Thompson retired the first 10 batters he faced.  He gave up a walk in the 4th inning, but left that runner on base.  He gave up a triple to lead off the 5th, but a grounder to third let 3B Jeremy Farrell fire the ball back to C Tony Sanchez, who tagged out the runner at the plate.  Thompson had to work around a single and a fielding error in the 6th, but after a sacrifice bunt, two timely strikeouts got him out of that jam.   Thompson also struck out 5 batters in his second win of the season.  

The Curve posted 8 hits, and 3 of those were singles by RF Brad Chalk, who had been off to a slow start for the season (1-for-16).  He singled in the 3rd, the 6th, and the 8th, though he didn't score.  Altoona scored their first run in the 4th, when Sanchez led off with a walk, then scored all the way from first base on 1B Miles Durham's double into center field.  SS Jordy Mercer belted a home run over the left field wall in the 5th inning for the Curve's second run.  That was all the offense that was needed.  The Curve put two runners on base in the 6th, when Chalk singled and pinch-hitter Kris Watts was hit by a pitch, but both were left on base.  They threatened in the 7th, when CF Starling Marte led off with a single into right field and stole second base.  He moved to third on a ground out, and tried for home when Sanchez grounded to third, but was thrown out at the plate on a play similar to what the Curve did to the Squirrels in the 5th.  Sanchez and LF Quincy Latimore also had singles in the game.  

Mike Colla, Michael Dubee, and Noah Krol each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Curve.  Krol allowed one hit in the 9th, but left that base runner on, and earned his 3rd Save.

Three wins for the Pirates' lower minor league teams on Tuesday:


Altoona Curve  2,  Akron Aeros  0
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Starter Bryan Morris threw 6 shutout innings to lead the Curve over the Aeros in Akron.  Morris scattered 4 hits and a walk, while striking out 3 for his first win of the season.  The only real trouble he had was in the bottom of the 1st, when rehabbing Grady Sizemore began the inning with a walk.  After two grounder force outs, a single, Akron had runners on first and second.  A single lined into center field had the runner from second charging for home, but CF Starling Marte fired in to C Eric Fryer, who tagged out the runner at the plate.  Morris sailed through his remaining 5 innings, allowing just two more hits -- singles in the 2nd and the 5th.  Brian Leach, Michael Dubee, and Noah Krol each pitched one scoreless inning of relief.  Leach and Dubee each allowed one walk, but Dubee struck out the other three batters he faced.  Krol earned his second Save of the season.  

Both of the Curve's runs scored in the 3rd inning.  3B Jeremy Farrell began the rally by being hit by a pitch.  Fryer singled, and RF Jose Hernandez sacrifice bunted both runners into scoring position.  2B Brock Holt grounded to first, but a fielding error let him reach safely and gave Farrell the chance to score.  An RBI grounder by Marte brougth in Fryer with the second run.  Marte stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch, but the inning ended before he could come around to score.  

Marte singled after Holt walked in the 5th inning, and both Farrell and Fryer singled in the 7th, but neither of those threats yielded any runs.  Farrell lined into right field in the 9th, and rounded second easily, but was thrown out when he tried to stretch it into a triple.  He would have scored if he'd stopped at second, because Fryer followed with his own double.  Fryer was 3-for-4 in the game, and Farrell went 2-for-3.  

Wins all around for the rest of the Pirates' minor leaguers: 

Altoona Curve  10,  Erie Seawolves  7
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Three home runs and a 4-run 2nd inning sparked the Curve to their second win of the season on Sunday afternoon.  The scoring got started in the top of the 1st, when 2B opened the game with a single, moved to third on CF Starling Marte's double, and scored on SS Jordy Mercer's RBI ground out.  The Curve made it 5-1 with 4 more runs in the 2nd.  DH Eric Fryer led off with a walk, but was forced out at second on RF Jose Hernandez's grounder, though they avoided the double play.  Holt singled, then stole second base, giving the Curve two runners in scoring position.  Hernandez scored on Marte's RBI ground out, Mercer drove in Holt with a double, and C Tony Sanchez followed with his first homer of the season, driving in Mercer as well.  

The Curve tacked on another run in each of the next two innings.  3B Jeremy Farrell reached base on a throwing error in the 3rd, and scored on Hernandez's double.  Marte led off the 4th with a solo home run.  They took a break for two innings, then Farrell added his 2-run homer in the 7th, bringing in Sanchez, who had singled.  Altoona's final run came in the top of the 9th, with a two-out double by LF Quincy Latimore, an intentional walk by Farrell, and an RBI single by Fryer.
Holt had 3 hits in the game, raising his average to .400.  Marte (.375), Sanchez (.300), and Farrell (.313) each had 2 hits.

Jared Hughes made the start for the Curve.  He pitched 4 innings, and allowed 3 runs.  A double and a single gave Erie one run in the 2nd inning, then a walk, a double, and two ground outs scored two runs in the 3rd.  Mike Colla relieved Hughes to begin the 5th.  A hit batter and a triple gave the Sea Wolves one run in the 6th, but Colla kept Erie from scoring in his other two innings.  Anthony Claggett pitched the 8th inning and gave up two home runs -- a solo homer to open the inning, then a 2-run homer after a single.  Noah Krol took the 9th, and loaded the bases with a walk and two singles, but got out of the jam with a strikeout and a game-ending double play.  Colla earned the win, and Krol earned the Save.  

Continuing to look at some of the pitchers in the Pirates' minor league organization:

Colton Cain  --  L/L,  6' 3", 225 lb
Cain was the Pirates' 8th round draft pick in 2009.  He began his pro career in 2010, after having had back surgery in the previous winter.  Cain began with 4 starts for the GCL Pirates, where he earned an 0-1 record and a 3.77 ERA.  In 14.1 innings, he allowed 6 runs on 12 hits and 5 walks, but struck out 15 batters.  He was promoted to State College in July, and appeared in 11 games (9 starts) there.  Two of those starts were very tough, as Cain gave up 6 runs in 2 innings on August 2nd, and 6 runs in 3 innings on August 31st.  The other 9 appearances were much better.  His best was 4 shutout innings on August 20th, when he gave up no hits and just one walk, while striking out 3 batters.  In those other 9 appearances, Cain allowed 7 runs over 29 innings (2.17 ERA), with 9 walks and 31 strikeouts.  Cain, who just turned 20 years old, should be ready to begin 2011 at West Virginia.  He'll continue to work on fastball command, but also on his changeup.


Victor Black  --  R/R,  6' 3",  185 lb 
Black was chosen by the Pirates as a compensation pick between the first and second rounds of the 2009 draft.  He signed quickly and got down to business at State College.  In 13 appearances for the Spikes (7 starts), Black earned a 1-2 record and a 3.45 ERA.  He allowed 12 earned runs and 26 hits in 31.1 innings.  His walk rate was a bit high (15, 4.3 walks / 9 innings), but he also struck out 33 batters (15.4 K / 9 innings).  A shoulder injury and subsequent biceps problem plagued Black in the 2010 season, and he was able to make just 2 appearances for West Virginia in May.  Neither start was what Black would have hoped:  he gave up 3 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 4 innings in one, and 2 runs on a hit and 3 walks in 2/3 of an inning in the other.  The 22-year-old Black is healthy and ready to go in spring training for 2011.  He will likely be back to West Virginia, and the Pirates have indicated that they plan to have him pitch in relief, in hopes of limiting the stress on his arm.