Two Kansas City tiebreakers, a five-run, final inning rally to tie the day’s second elimination game, and a 2 out of 3 slugfest between the two final teams. And when the dust settled at Holiday Park, which was hosting the first league game since 1992, the Real McCoys were champions for the second time.

For winning coach Mike McCoy, who also has played on two champion teams this decade, this had to be a serious case of deja vu. When his McCoys won the 2004 D’Oliveira Cup, they had to do so by playing four games. And Sunday, they had to repel an opponent that was running the same marathon.

Jaded, coached by Ed Giuliotti, came in having won 10 straight games. Yet it stumbled in Game 1, losing 13-8 to the red-hot McCoys. In order to be crowned champions, Jaded had to win three consecutive games, including going through the McCoys two more times. Jaded got as far as taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first of its fourth game, but the McCoys took the lead in the bottom half and never trailed again.

The morning began with the mysterious Boss Players, led by Big Boss John O’Connell, eliminating We B Zellin’, coached by Robert Smith, 15-13 in extra innings.

The Boss players jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning. Smith, leading off the second inning, started a rally with a home run to right field. Also in the second, silent Chris Mihal, who just couldn’t stay away from his mentor Smith, hit a three-run home run. Game on. Zellin’ eventually tied the score in the bottom of the seventh when David Torres drove in Smith from third, but stumbled the next inning.

The Boss Players then watched as the Real McCoys stopped Jaded in the winners’ bracket game. Jaded suffered a huge blow in the game when shortstop Joe Sachitano reinjured his hamstring. Sachitano gamely battled on, moving to first base, but his offense clearly was affected the rest of the day.

Having lost, Jaded had to face the Boss Players in a rematch of the previous week’s game. Jaded trailed by five runs entering the top of the seventh but rallied to tie the score, the tying run coming on a two-out single by Giuliotti. Jaded held the Players scoreless in the bottom of the inning, then took the 11-9 victory on a KC tiebreaker.

That led to its second game of the day against the McCoys. Fatigue appeared to be setting in, as both offenses slowed. But Jaded broke open a 5-3 game in the top of the sixth with five runs after two were out, the last two coming on a two-run home run by Steve D’Oliveira. The McCoys answered with five of their own, but fell short as Jaded prevailed 11-8.

But the Jaded bubble burst in its fourth game. The McCoys answered every Jaded uprising, and cruised to a 18-12 victory.

The McCoys clearly were playing their best ball at season’s end, and were getting it from all corners. Carol Lustig stepped in for Stan Goldberg and was the winning pitcher in the clincher. Right fielder Chris Hawkins, brother of Supersonic mouth Reggie, was a rookie find. He had a home run Sunday, and displayed a cannon for an arm. Chad Mullins and Brian Wacker also homered Sunday, and quietly efficient Mike Turnbell was seemingly on base every time you turned around.