Cordele — Crisp County High easily continued its baseball mastery of Monroe of Albany Tuesday, cruising to a 17-2 victory that represented its fifth straight double-digit decision over the Tornadoes since 2011.

“There have been times we’ve struggled against the kind of pitching we usually see from them but not today,” coach Bill Pate said after Crisp had thumped Monroe for a 16th time in 17 games dating back to the 2005 season.

“I was proud of the guys for doing the things we had worked on last night in preparation for the slow stuff we figured to see today as we did a good job at the plate of spreading out, staying back and hitting the ball only when it was pitched over or very near the plate.”

En route to the victory that came in their Region 1-AAAA opener and bettered their overall record to 6-3, the Cougars collected a single-game high for hits (13) and runs this season.

They started their offensive production with a three-run first that erased the 1-0 lead the Tornadoes had just taken via a walk, wild pitch and bloop single to short right field.

Devin Taylor’s line drive hit that was misplayed in left scored Chris McGinnis and Kory Herrington who both had drawn walks. On the throw to the plate, Taylor took third from where he eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Crisp had an even bigger frame in the second when it pushed across six tallies via five hits, a sacrifice fly, a walk and another Monroe miscue.

Stewart Tyler started things by grounding a single up the middle and then sprinting to third on a wild pickoff throw by the Tornadoes’ hurler. Witt Campbell roped a double just inside the left field foul line to get Tyler home and then scored himself when Taylor Walls lined a double just inside the third base bag.

Chris McGinnis slapped a single to left as Walls came home and then swiped second before sprinting to the plate on a throwing error the visitors committed on Herrington’s single between short and third. Herrington wound up at third before scoring when Taylor’s fly to right was misplayed for a double. C.J. White’s sacrifice fly later delivered Walls.

Monroe used a pair of singles and a hit batsman to load the bases in the top of the third when it eventually got its final run as Crisp tried to pick off the runner at second.

When the Tornadoes made a pitching change to start the bottom of the third, Crisp greeted the reliever with its 10th and 11th tallies of the day.

Campbell scored the first of them, belting a double, continuing to third when his hit was bobbled and coming home on a fielder’s choice grounder by Walls who reached base on the throw to the plate. Two outs later, pinch-hitter Robert Tyler later singled in Walls.

When Campbell, who started on the mound and was eventually credited with the win, aggravated a groin pull he’s been battling, the Cougars brought Walls to the mound with two men on base and one man down. He promptly struck out the two men he faced.

Thus needing six runs to bring an early halt to the contest, Crisp got them in its half of the fourth. Walls followed walks issued to Jacob Burnett and Caleb Hulett with a scorching triple down the right field line. McGinnis then lofted a fly that got Walls home when it was dropped in right.

Bradley Hough kept things going with a single to deep short before Robert Tyler’s single chased in McGinnis. C.J. White followed with past third to get Hough home and Logan White then ended the game by lining an RBI single over the second baseman’s head.

Walls wound up with a triple and double, Campbell and Taylor finished with a pair of doubles and Robert Tyler socked two singles to lead the Cougars at the plate.

The mound win went to Campbell who struck out five, walked four and allowed three hits and both Monroe runs before departing in favor of Walls. Both hurlers drew a verbal pat on the back from Pate.

“Witt did a good job while battling the injury that’s been plaguing home for a couple of weeks now,” Pate said. “Taylor then came on and did what we count on him to do — throw strikes.

“A combination of their effort and the way we hit the ball throughout the line-up obviously helped us get region play started off on the right foot.”

Crisp has another 1-AAAA duel here Friday at 7 vs. Americus-Sumter.