Righthander Jimmy Osinga, who turns 18 on Saturday, began his debut in the main squad of Amsterdam Pirates with a walk for Kiryl Kazlouski.
With one out, an error led to runners on first and third base.
Osinga then caught a line drive hit by Aliaksei Lukashevich and a force out ended the first inning.
The 21-year old Lukashevich is the first Belarussian player that played professionally.
In 2010, at age 16, he signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He then played professionally in 2012 as a pitcher in the Rookie League-team of Pittsburgh, appearing in 13 games, all as a reliever.
Lukashevich struckout 12 batters in 19 innings and was 1-0.
It was to be his lone professional season.
Pirates then supported its rookie pitcher with five runs in the bottom of the first inning off of Kiryl Kazlouski, who went the distance for Zubrs and also was the team's lead-off hitter.
However, before the scoring started, there already were two outs.
Linoy Croes led off the first inning with a bunt-single, then Michael Duursma walked.
A double steal then failed, as Croes was caught stealing and a following grounder accounted for the second out.
But then Remco Draijer connected for a ground-rule double to bring in Duursma.
Next, Koen Nooij walked and Jesse Aussems followed with a 2-run double.
Rashid Gerard then also walked and this time Patrick Bok followed with an RBI-single to bring in Aussems
As an error followed, Gerard also was able to score.
Jorin van Amstel, the ninth batter in this inning, then also walked, but two runners stranded when a flyout ended the at bat.
Amsterdam added its next run in the second inning.
With one out, Kenny Berkenbosch reached on an error, advanced to third on another double by Remco Draijer and scored on a single by Koen Nooij.
Amsterdam increased the lead to 8-0 in the third inning.
Patrick Bok then led off with a single and Jorin van Amstel walked and the two went on to score on an one-out double by Michael Duursma.
And so, Amsterdam was leading comfortably with an 8-0 score after the third inning en route to a mercy-rule win in in seven innings.
However, that didn't happen, as Pirates was held scoreless by Kazlouski from the fourth inning on.
In the first three innings, the 18-year old righthander gave up eight runs, eight hits, walked five batters and uncorked a wild pitch.
But from the fourth inning on, he gave up only two more basehits in the remainder of the game, which were hit by rookies Steven van Reem and Daan Groenewoud.
Pirates got into scoring position only three more times.
In the fourth, Rashid Gerard walked with two outs.
In the fifth, Pirates was retired in order.
In the sixth, Steven van Reem led off with a single and Koen Nooij walked with one out.
In the seventh, Linoy Croes walked with two outs and Michael Duursma then reached on an error, but then Van Reem lined out.
And in the eighth, Remco Draijer reached second base on an error, then moved to third on a single by Daan Groenewoud, but also was left behind.
Jimmy Osinga struckout two batters in the second inning with a runner on third base, then retired the side in the third.
In the fourth, he gave up his first basehit, when Aliaksan Lukashevich singled with one out, but hereafter, he retired the next eight batters in a row.
In the seventh, Lukashevich led off with his second basehit (and the second and last of his team), but he then was eliminated in a double play.
After advancing on a sacrifice bunt by Vadzim Harun, he got in a rundown between second and third base.
In the eighth, Osinga retired the side again, finishing with his fourth strikeout.
Daan Hendrix then retired the side in the ninth inning.
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Rookie pitcher leads Amsterdam Pirates to shutout-win
PARIS (France) -
L&D Amsterdam Pirates moved a step closer to clinching a spot in the final of its European Cup Tournament in France by winning 8-0 on Thursday-afternoon vs. Brest Zubrs from Belarus.
With the loss, Brest was eliminated for the final.
Even when it should win its remaining two games, Brest will always have two teams that will finish ahead of them, whatever the combination in scores.
In Stade Pershing, the main site of the event in French capital Paris, rookie-pitcher Jimmy Osinga made his debut in a Pirate-uniform and gave up only two hits in eight innings.
Two other rookies also got playing time from Head Coach Charles Urbanus.
Daan Groenewoud took over the catching in the sixth inning, while Steven van Reem entered the game as pinch-hitter in the third inning and became the new designated hitter.
Both hit a basehit.