No major-league team has had a longer history in Lynchburg than the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have been the Hillcats’ parent club since 1995.

P.J. Forbes was waiting for the Pirates’ brass to “take the shackles” off talented pitcher Rudy Owens.

“And the guy with the key was here,” the Hillcats manager said, pointing to Pittsburgh director of player development Kyle Stark, who was sitting in the manager’s office after Lynchburg beat Wilmington 1-0 Thursday to knot the Carolina League Northern Division championship series at a game apiece.

Lynchburg pitchers Jeff Locke and Ronald Uviedo combined to shut out Salem as the Hillcats claimed a 1-0 victory Sunday at City Stadium.

Winston-Salem scored six runs in the first inning en route to a 7-4 victory over Lynchburg on Sunday at Wake Forest Baseball Park. With the win, the Dash claimed a series victory over the Hillcats in the three-game set. The Hillcats will take on Potomac at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday at Pfitzner Stadium.

Justin Wilson pitched a gem for Lynchburg on Sunday night, with seven shutout innings and 11 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory against Myrtle Beach at City Stadium.

Hillcats pitching coach Wally Whitehurst has coached in the California League, so he knows just how brutal High Desert’s stadium in Adelanto, Calif., can be on a young pitcher’s psyche.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup for Opening Day 2008 in Atlanta featured Nate McLouth, Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Adam LaRoche, Xavier Nady, Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista, Jack Wilson and Ian Snell.

Christmas in July night at City Stadium was suspended by rain on Thursday, moments after the Frederick Keys took a 2-1 lead in their Carolina League series opener against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Lynchburg jumped out to a 7-0 lead through five innings and went on to decisively beat Frederick, 11-4, on Sunday night.

For all of the complicated banter that goes on in baseball clubhouses regarding strike zones, arm slots and delivery points, the game can be mind numbingly simple at times.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem handily defeated Lynchburg, 13-3, on Sunday night, avoiding a sweep in the three-game series.

The Lynchburg Hillcats split a short two-game road trip with a 6-2 loss to the Salem Red Sox on Monday at Lewis-Gale Stadium.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Inclement weather forced the postponement of Lynchburg’s game at Wilmington on Friday night, the second in as many days for the Hillcats and Blue Rocks.

The Hillcats’ series opener at Wilmington Thursday was postponed due to rain in northern Delaware.

Lynchburg opened a 7-0 lead with three runs in the second and four more in the third Wednesday night against the host Frederick Keys, who rallied for six runs in the third before the Hillcats held on for a rain-shortened 7-6 Carolina League victory.