The dynasty lives on.

A year after losing the Men’s A final 24-20 to Skagway-based Chico’s Bail Bonds, the P&M Recycling Guns took back their title with an emphatic 21-8 win over the Urban Realty Reds Sunday at the Pepsi Softball Centre.

Yesterday’s title win was the Guns’ seventh in the past 10 years, alongside three runner-up finishes.

This time, Guns left-fielder Matt Kremer provided the heroics, crushing a no-doubt grand slam over the centre-field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning to push his team to victory via the mercy rule.

The walk-off homer came on the first pitch by Reds starter Kane Dawe after he had intentionally walked well-known Guns slugger Rob LaRose to load the bases.

After recording two quick outs in the sixth, the high-octane Guns lineup turned over, with both Sheldon King and Troy Cairns reaching base.

After a brief meeting on the mound, the Reds walked LaRose, setting up Kremer’s heroics.

“I wanted to hit it out for sure,” Kremer said post-game. “Last year, we lost with the winning run on third, so this year, when I got up there, I wasn’t missing it. You only get one chance to get it back.”

The Guns were on a mission to reclaim the Men’s A title in Dustball, captain Mike Tuton told the Star following the championship win.

Last year’s loss in the finals, coupled with a loss in the championship qualifier for nationals this year, had the naysayers wondering if the Guns dynasty had run its course.

“The sharks were in the water and everybody wanted a piece of the Guns,” Tuton said. “Everybody wanted to beat us.”

With that in mind, Tuton said the 2015 title means more than the previous six.

“It does,” he said. “It’s our title. That’s the way I look at it. These kids are going to be good. They’re knocking at the door but we’re not going to answer it.

“This was as deep and as talented a Guns squad as we’ve had in a very long time. We talked Thursday about everyone wanting a piece of us and said: ‘We don’t care who we come across, we’re on a mission to get to Sunday and every win is a statement win.”

The Guns got off to a scorching start Thursday night, thumping Bustin’s Bombers 20-2.

They continued to roll the rest of the weekend, rapping off wins against the Carmacks Ball Knockers 20-4, the Reds 18-14 and the Creephawks 17-5.

Overall, the Guns outscored their opponents 96-33 over the weekend.

In Sunday afternoon’s final, all 12 runners in the Guns starting lineup crossed the plate at least once, led by first baseman Cairns, who had three runs – the first coming via a solo homer in the first inning.

The Guns struck for five – the maximum per inning – in the bottom of the second, capped by a three-run jack by Derek Hamsley, giving the Guns an 8-4 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

After four innings, the Guns had extended their lead to 14-6.

The teams and fans in attendance were greeted by heavy rain to start the fifth, but the game was not delayed.

Guns shortstop Shayne King hit a three-run homer off Reds relief pitcher Andrew Schmidt in the bottom of the fifth to put P&M Recycling up 17-6.

Later in the inning, with two out and runners on the corners, third baseman Joe Vigneau had a chance to end the game on the 12-run fifth-inning mercy rule, but his home run hit was over the maximum and was recorded as the third out.

However, in the bottom of the inning, Reds second baseman Brad Gustafson hit a two-run homer, setting the stage for Kremer’s heroics against Dawe, who was back on the mound in the bottom of the sixth.

Dustball rules prohibit teams from recording more than two home runs than their opponents.

Aaron France added a first-inning homer for the heavy-hitting Guns, while Kaleb Dawe and Brett Roulston also homered for the Reds.

“They’re a great team and they played well,” Reds infielder J.J. Gainsforth said of the Guns. “For us to shine, we need to get on the sticks and play small ball. We didn’t do that today, but it was still good for us to play in different situations as we prepare for nationals.”

In May, the Reds (then known as the Marlins) beat the Guns 19-8 in the final of the territorial qualifying tournament for the 2015 Senior Men’s Canadian Slo-Pitch Championship in Dorchester, Ont., Aug. 9 to 15.

Kremer said the Guns are pleased with the rapid rise of the Reds.

“We like all those kids,” he said. “And we like that there’s another team coming up like that. It’s a challenge and it brings both teams up.”

This year’s Dustball Invitational Slo-Pitch Tournament featured 71 teams, up from 58 last season.

Originally, the maximum 72 teams were slated to play, but according to Softball Yukon officials, a men’s team from Haines, Alaska, pulled out late.

The majority of the registered teams were Whitehorse-based, alongside seven from Alaska, five from the Yukon communities and two from Inuvik, N.W.T.

The tournament has been a constant on the Softball Yukon calendar for three decades, with winning and runner-up teams taking home plaques and slo-pitch national gear.

The Women’s A final saw Louie’s – a heavy-hitting team from Juneau – mercy the P&M Recycled Sistas 14-4, while the Complete Concrete Athletics won the Co-ed A final 16-4 over the Whitehorse Dental Donkeys – also a mercy score.

See Tuesday’s newspaper for more coverage of the Women’s A and Co-ed A division finals.

Final Dustball results

Men’s A

1. P&M Recycling Guns
2. Urban Realty Reds
3. Creephawks

Men’s B

1. Brewers
2. Fountain Tire Mudders
3. Carmacks Ball Knockers

Men’s C

1. Dawson City Dingbats
2. Bustin’s Bombers
3. The Next Shots

Women’s A

1. Louie’s (Juneau)
2. P&M Recycled Sistas
3. Fountain Tire Titans

Women’s B

1. Inuvik Angels
2. Dave’s Cleaning Crew
3. Dawson City Snatchers

Women’s C

1. Nuway Ball Crushers
2. Booster Juice
3. Minions (Juneau)

Co-ed A

1. Complete Concrete Athletics
2. Whitehorse Dental Donkeys
3. Dave’s Cleaning Crew

Co-ed B

1. Wounded Deere
2. Yukon Tire Mechanical Happy Hobo’s
3. Valley Liquor Fireballs

Co-ed C

1. Where My Pitches Be (Juneau)
2. Cindersphere
3. Floor by Floor Rugburns

Co-ed D

1. JayTech Jays
2. Carmacks Recreation
3. Bailey’s Barbarians