Jul. 15—JAMESTOWN — After 16 years of playing slowpitch softball, Darren Perleberg needed a change.

"We were all on different teams and some of us wanted to try something different," Perleberg said. "I got with Cory Genter and I said, 'Let's put together a team that is competitive and doesn't have any drama,' because there was a little bit too much of that on some of the teams we were playing for at the time.

"We just wanted to have a team where it was fun to show up every week, and we didn't get our butts kicked every week," he said. "That's what we created, and that is what is still going. How we approach the game is really fun."

The team Perleberg and Genter created in 2013 was Esto Dingus. Esto competes on Wednesday nights at Jamestown's Hillcrest Softball Complex during the slowpitch softball season.

"Our retention with guys who still want to show up and have fun is pretty high," Perleberg said. "From the guys we started with, we still have about 90% of the players who were on that first team."

Esto not only plays in Jamestown's league, the team also plays in tournaments across the state and the region. The team has competed in the national tournament three times. The first year Esto competed in the national tournament, the tourney was being held in Fargo.

"You don't have to qualify for the national tournament, but you don't want to just go and throw your money away," Perleberg said. "It's extremely expensive, and you usually have to travel a little bit. ... (The first year) they needed some teams so we raised our hand and agreed to play, but that was outside our division," Perleberg said. "It was a higher level — we didn't get our butts kicked, but we didn't win any games."

The next year, the tournament was played in Fargo again.

"We played in our division that year," Perleberg said. "In 2016, we played in the national tournament down in Sioux Falls (South Dakota). If you talk to our team — some of their best memories in the last 13 years was the trip down to Sioux Falls for that national tournament. We were together the whole time and the fun we had — it's still something we talk about today."

While most of the team was involved in the trip down to Sioux Falls, there have been some lineup changes in the last 14 years.

"If somebody does move away or we see a gap in the lineup, we'll put our heads together and see if we can find somebody," Perleberg said. "Sometimes we get a little bit lucky. Our current shortstop was a college baseball player, he happened to be moving back to Jamestown. Another guy's son was in gymnastics with my daughter, and we struck up conversation, and he played high school baseball. Now he's on our team."

There's not a list of requirements to join Esto's roster.

"For us, it's not all about talent," Perleberg said. "We want to make sure they are good people. That is the No. 1 thing. It's more about if the guys can fit in personality-wise with the team and hang out afterwards and laugh with us."

To join, you don't even need much experience.

"If you look at the (Spirits) team in town, they are just loaded with former college baseball players," Perleberg said. "Up until we got this new shortstop, we didn't have anybody who played college baseball, and the majority of our guys didn't play high school baseball.

"We're not bad athletes," he said. "We had guys who were really good at basketball or football, but I think what made us gel so well was the fact that we care about each other and we don't ride one another. You can make an error, and your teammates don't point fingers or get made. It's just, shake it off, get the next one if you can. If you miss that one, who cares? Get the next one. That changes how you approach the game and how you show up every week. Guys know they don't have to deal with any of that kind of stuff."

Esto's current record is 11-7. The team is set to face off against Agroline this week. Games are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. After the team's doubleheader against Agroline, Esto will be hosting its annual "sponsor night."

"We supply everything, and it's a thank you to our sponsors and the people who show up to watch us," Perleberg said. "It's also open to our opponents and their fans, it's open to all of that. It's just a celebration of softball and the culture we have put together."

The Olivet Boys & Girls Club is getting ready to play ball.

The organization will host a series of baseball games for current members and softball games for former members on Aug. 1 at Hoodak Stadium and Oakbrook Recreation Park.

The festivities will begin around 8:30 a.m. with a competitive baseball tournament showcasing current members and an alumni softball tournament that aims to bring former members together with staff and supporters for a day of friendly competition.

Officials of the organization said the event will celebrate the club’s lifelong impact by reconnecting alumni and giving current members the opportunity to showcase their talents on the field.

Families, friends, alumni and community members are invited to cheer on the teams, enjoy classic ballpark food and celebrate the memories.

To participate in the tournament, visit lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/dr586be.

To watch the tournaments, visit lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/2kb6hdj.

SIOUX CITY, IA (KCAU) – Here is a look at the best plays of the week from Siouxland sports!

5. Number five, Sioux City North softball’s Aliyah Moon comes swooping in from third base to catch the bunt off the Des Moines Lincoln batter!

4. Number four, we head to Orange City, as Sioux Central visits Unity Christian for a postseason matchup. The hit goes deep, but the Rebels’ fielder Jack Christian comes from out of frame and lays out for the catch. But that wasn’t enough. Like SpongeBob, he says, ” You wanna see me do it again?” Well, the next at-bat almost goes to the same spot, and who else is there but Christian, making another diving snag for the out!

3. That takes us to number three from Sioux City West softball, Kiarah Hummel slaps one out to left. Ball gets booted by the outfielder, that’ll bring in Evangela Heyward, and just a few seconds like a jetliner, Hummel slides in for an inside-the-park homer!

2. Number two, the Explorers hosted the Saltdogs Friday night, and after finding themselves down 6-1 in the bottom of the 7th, they clawed their way back and tied it, taking the visitors to the 11th inning when Braulio Vasquez would hit a 2 RBI single into the outfield and help Sioux City win it 9-8!

1. But our top play of the week comes from Moc-Floyd Valley pitcher Brooks McCarty. After the pitch, he makes an acrobatic move to snag the ball behind his back while doing the splits, then throws out the runner heading home!

Stay tuned for next week’s top moments!

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