MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County 12-and-under A all-stars used a homer barrage to win the first game of its best-of-3 District III championship series against Crisp County 16-1 on Monday in Bainbridge, then clinched the title with a 4-0 victory in the nightcap.

The District III championship will send Colquitt County to Dublin for the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association’s state tournament, which will begin on July 11.

Colquitt County had won the sub-District tournment in Bainbridge last week, outscoring its four opponents 51-1.

It was more of the same on Monday in the first game of the championship series against Crisp County, the north sub-District winner.

Colquitt County hit nine home runs in Monday’s first game, including two each by Preston Berry and Ross Goforth.

Aubrey McCarty, who hit seven home runs in the sub-District tournament, had one, as did Andrew Carlton, Jim Harrison, Matt Gerald and Tyler Yost.

McCarty had three hits, Goforth and Berry each had two and Kent, Tyler Yost and Blake Bennett each had one hit in the first game.

Yost and Bennett did the pitching, combining to give up just two hits while striking out nine.

After scoring 67 runs in their previous five games, the Colquitt County all-stars relied on their pitching in the District III championship clincher.

It was the first time in the tournament that Colquitt County was forced to play six innings and the all-stars managed just four hits, including two by Kent and one each by Yost and Bennett

But McCarty gave up just one hit and struck out 13 in the 4-0 victory.

Colquitt County coach Chad Eunice credited much of his team’s success to its chemistry.

“They play real well together,” he said.

And it helps to be able to produce runs in bunches get outstanding pitching.

“If that holds up, we’ll be OK,” Eunice said.