Boxscore
 
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball team received a complete game effort from starting pitcher Kyle Westwood, but were unable to find the scoreboard, as the Ospreys opened the 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference season with a 2-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast at Swanson Stadium on Friday night.
 
Westwood threw the first complete game of his UNF career. The junior scattered eight hits over 8.0 innings. Westwood allowed just two runs in the game. The hurler fanned a career-best nine batters, while issuing only one free pass – an intentional walk to set up a force out. Westwood retired the Eagles in order in four of the eight innings he pitched. 

Florida Gulf Coast also got a complete game effort from starter Ricky Knapp. The Eagles' pitcher surrendered three hits in 9.0 innings of work, striking out six but walking three.
 
Offensively, the Ospreys were held to just three hits. T.J. Gavlik, Andrew Karmeris and Michael Wesner each recorded hits on the night with Wesner notching the only extra base hit of the game for North Florida. Corey Bass, Chris Carter and Ryan Roberson each reached base courtesy of FGCU walks.
 
Westwood started the game with a 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the first inning. In the inning, the junior recorded a pair of strikeouts.
 
North Florida threatened in the top of the second inning. With one out, Wesner doubled to right field and advanced to third on a passed ball by Florida Gulf Coast. The Ospreys were unable to take the early lead as a fly ball ended the inning.
 
Florida Gulf Coast was the first team to scratch the scoreboard, plating a run in the bottom of the second inning. FGCU's Sean Dwyer lifted the first pitch he saw over the center field fence to put the hosts in front 1-0 early.
 
For the second consecutive inning, the Ospreys placed a runner in scoring position. Gavlik led off the top of the third inning with a single to left field. He advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Corey Bass. FGCU used a pop up and a ground out to end the inning with a runner left on base.
 
The Eagles added a run in the bottom of the third inning. The inning began with a single through the left side of the infield. The runner advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by FGCU. The next batter doubled to left field to score the runner and give the home team a 2-0 advantage.
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Florida Gulf Coast led off the inning with a single to right center field, but North Florida turned its 25th double play of the season. Westwood induced a ground out to third base for his second 1-2-3 inning of the night. He followed by retiring the Eagles in order in the bottom of the fifth inning. Back-to-back strikeouts started the inning for the junior. Westwood completed the inning with a ground ball to first base.
 
The junior hurler worked his way out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a fly ball to center field, Westood surrendered a triple to right center field. With a runner on third and one out, he struck out the next batter in the lineup before using a ground out to second base to end the inning and the FGCU threat.
 
North Florida threatened in the top of the seventh inning. Carter reached base on a fielder's choice. The junior college transfer advanced to second on a balk by Knapp and moved to within 90 feet of home with a stolen base. Carter was unable to score as a strikeout ended the inning.
 
After the seventh inning stretch, Westwood sat down the Eagles in order. The right hander used a fly ball to right field for the first out of the inning before closing out the seventh with back-to-back strikeouts.  Westwood closed out the night leaving two FGCU base runners stranded in the bottom of the eighth inning. The leadoff batter singled to the shortstop to start the inning. The Eagles moved the runner to second base with a sacrifice bunt. Westwood struck out the next batter on three straight pitches before intentionally walking the following batter to set up a force out. The intentional walk worked as a fielder's choice to second base ended the inning without allowing a run.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning, the Ospreys were unable to muster any offense and dropped the A-Sun opener on the road.
 
North Florida and Florida Gulf Coast continue the three-game Atlantic Sun Conference series with a game on Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium beginning at 2:00 p.m. Live stats and in-game tweets (@UNFOspreys) will be available.