Small town pride: Local fastpitch softball team brings home national title

The sports world is seeing on a national scale how teams can unite for a common goal and grow closer in the process.

The same is true on a local level. Down in Eastman, Wisconsin, a village of just over 400, one fastpitch softball team has achieved something huge as they continue a community tradition.

“There’s a lot of history here in Eastman with fastpitch.”

A small town with a big passion on the diamond.

“There’s not a lot of areas in the state that are like that anymore,” local player Dan Morovits said, “so to come here and see such a small town and such a showing for it, it’s amazing.”

Eastman has played ball since 1915 and hosted fastpitch softball since 1960.

Morovits and the rest of the Lifetime Seamless Gutters softball team play all summer on the village’s field. It’s like a second home.

“Everybody knows everybody, and fastpitch softball is the biggest thing in this county, for sure,” team manager Pat Hall said. “There are no other leagues in this county at all.”

They’re a part of NAFA, the North American Fastpitch Association, and for the past decade this team has traveled to try for a national World Series.

“I’ve been chasing it for 14, 15 years.”

And this year, that chase is complete.

“First national men’s title in Eastman, Wisconsin,” Hall said.

They say this year’s team just put it all together, and they had a good gameplan going in.

“I think we won it because we decided not to drink the night before,” Hall joked during the title celebration ceremony.

And to return home to their families and community with a national title, is something they’ll never forget.

“I’ve played ball my whole life,” Pat’s son and team shortstop Peyton Hall said, “so to be able to be at the top of our game, it just means a lot to me, especially to do it with my local team and with my dad.”

“The support they give us is amazing,” Morovits said of the town. “This is something I’ll carry with me for my life.”

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