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By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, APRIL 6, 2014 – Tommy Peterson pitched effectively in his first-career start, but the Bulls' bats couldn't catch up to UCF in a 6-3 loss that decided the series Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 1,739 at USF Baseball Stadium.

Peterson (2-1) struck out four and gave up two earned runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work before the Knights secured the series win after topping the Bulls, 2-0, on Friday night.

“He pitched well for his first outing, so that was the biggest positive for me today,” said head coach Lelo Prado of the redshirt freshman from New Port Richey, Fla.

Peterson's biggest mistake happened in the second inning when Tommy Williams drove an inside pitch for a two-run homer to put the Knights ahead.

The Bulls (18-14, 5-4) got a run back in the fourth on an RBI sac fly by Buddy Putnam before UCF stuck again in the sixth inning. Williams saw another inside pitch and connected on another two-run homer off Brandon Lawson. The Knights kept the two-out rally going with RBI singles by JoMarcos Woods and Dylan Moore.

Williams also hit a homer in Saturday's game for UCF (20-13, 8-1).

“We tried to pitch around their shortstop twice and made mistakes and threw it inside,” Prado said.

USF answered back in the bottom half of the sixth with a pair of runs thanks to RBI singles by Nik Alfonso and Michael Arencibia, but that's all the scoring the Bulls could muster against four UCF arms.

Zach Rodgers (4-1) struck out five and gave up an earned run on two hits and Thomas Parker carried the bulk of the load for the Knights' bullpen by allowing three hits in 2 2/3 shutout innings.

Putman (Bartow, Fla.) went 2-for-3 to lead the Bulls' nine-hit attack, while Kyle Teaf (Tallahassee) went 2-for-4 in USF's final meeting with the Knights this regular season.

The Bulls will hit the road for a three-game series at Temple that begins 7 p.m. Friday before returning to USF Baseball Stadium to host Stetson in a single game on Tuesday, April 15 at 7 p.m. Purchase tickets HERE.