By TOMMY BRYAN, sports editor

LEBANON -- On a Cumberland baseball team stacked with offensive firepower, no one is swinging a hotter bat than senior outfielder Kris Miller. The native Texan and a transfer from Lewis& Clark State was a perfect 4-for-4 as the Bulldogs hammered visiting Georgetown (Ky.) 17-7 Wednesday afternoon at Stockton Field.

Batting in the clean-up spot, Miller doubled in each of his first two at bats, then punched in a couple of singles along with a walk before taking a seat.

A transfer from Lewis & Clark State in Idaho, Miller is thrilled with the opportunity to play for the Bulldogs.

"I know you should never look back, but I wish I had decided to come play for Coach Hunt right out of junior college," Miller said. "Cumberland is a great place to be."

“Kris is in one of those grooves right now,” said CU coach Woody Hunt. “The other players feed off that and the result is what folks saw out there Wednesday.”

The Bulldogs (19-5) got at least one hit from each spot in the batting order, totaling 19 and topping the previous high of 15, which they did twice – versus Viterbo University on Feb. 28 and again on March 12 against Shawnee State.

Senior third baseman Matt Greener went 3-for-4 with a homer, his seventh of the season. Four other Bulldogs had multi-hit games with David Fanshawe, Sam Kikla, Max Kautz and Dave Weyer each picking up a pair of hits.

Designated hitter Kautz blasted a two-run homer in the fifth, a missle just to the right of the hitters’ eye in center field -- his third home run of the season.

CU trailed 3-0 and 6-3 as the Tigers (7-13) chased Bulldog starter Peter Taraskevick with one out in the second after throwing only 29 pitches.

Matt Vance, a redshirt junior from Castalian Springs came on in relief of Taraskevich, and closed out the game for the win. Vance (2-1) allowing the final three runs, all of which were unearned, on four hits in 5 and one-third innings of relief.

“We’re a tired baseball team right now, coach Hunt said after the game. “I gave the guys Thursday off just to rest, re-group and to concentrate on their studies. “We’ve played a lot of baseball over the past 10 days. That can take a pretty serious toll, both on the mind and body.”

The Bulldogs host a three-game series against Davenport University this weekend. A 12 Noon doubleheader is planned Saturday followed by a single game Sunday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m.