MOULTRIE — Colquitt County 12-and-unders all-stars coach Chad Eunice has not had much to worry about this season.

But when his team gave up six runs — including four on a grand slam — in eighth inning and lost 12-7 to Coffee County in the first championship game at the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association state tournament in Dublin, Eunice had a moment of doubt.

It turned out to be a mere bump in the road to the state championship for Colquitt County, which rebounded from its only tournament loss to defeat Coffee 14-4 to claim the state championship.

Colquitt County had won three straight in the state tournament and was unbeaten when it played Coffee, the losers bracket survivor.

Coffee had to beat Colquitt County’s power-driven offensive twice to wrestle the championship away, but was unable to do it.

Colquitt County had its long-ball game zeroed in in Saturday’s second contest, using four home runs to put Coffee away.

Coffee led early in the second game 2-0, but a 10-run second inning by Colquitt County put any Coffee championship thoughts at bay.

Daren Kent had a three-run home run in the big second inning and moments later Matt Gerald added a two-run shot.

Coffee shaved two runs off its deficit in the third inning, but Colquitt answered quickly.

Aubrey McCarty followed a Blake Bennett single with two-run home run to make it 12-4.

In the fourth inning, Andrew Carlton hit a two-run homer to give Colquitt County the 10-run lead and the state championship.

Bennett pitched five innings to get the win.

The 10-run second inning was the key, Eunice said.

“We got pounded pretty good in the last in of the first game, so we needed something,” he said.

As it has throughout the tournament season, the 12-and-under all-stars relied on the long ball.

Eunice said that in 19 tournament games this summer, his team has hit 59 home runs.

In the sub-District tournament, the tournament championship series and the state tournament, Colquitt County hit 37 home runs, including 11 by McCarty.

In the five state tournament games, Colquitt County cracked 15 home runs.

Colquitt even got a pair of homers from Tyler Yost in the first game on Saturday.

Carlton had four home runs in Dublin. McCarty had three, Kent and Preston Berry two each and Gerald and Goforth one each.

Colquitt County was short-handed down the stretch. In the first game of the the state tournament, the team lost Andrew Eunice, whose arm was broken when he was hit by a pitch.

On Saturday, Berry, the starting catcher, was injured as well.

But the Midget Leaguers had lots of other firepower.

In its last 11 games, Colquitt County scored 126 runs.

Chad Eunice had plenty of praise for Coffee County, which scored 23 runs in three games against Colquitt County in the state tournament, including a 9-7 loss in the second game.

“It was a long day,” a relieved Chad Eunice said late Saturday afternoon.

“But both teams were pretty good today.”

The all-star team includes Matt Gerald, Preston Berry, Daren Kent, Andrew Eunice, Blake Bennett, Mack Hathcock, Clayton Brown, Ross Goforth, Jim Harrison, Andrew Carlton, Tyler Yost, Garrett Pearce and Aubrey McCarty.

The coaches are Chad Eunice, Bobby Eunice and Dale Friedlander.