New Castle rallies around little league

NEW CASTLE, Ind. (WISH) - The New Castle All-Stars are fighting to stay alive in the Little League World Series.

They won their first game against Oregon but now face elimination. People in the small city are showing their support for the team both on and off the field.

“This only happens once every few hundred years. This is the first time New Castle has ever went to the Little League World Series,” said New Castle Mayor Greg York.

Excitement around these 11- and 12-year-olds has taken this town of 19,000 by storm.

“This is it, this is all anybody is ever talking about. Everywhere you go they want to talk about the little league team and what are their chances,” said New Castle resident Lee Grear. “We think they have a good chance tonight. They had a tough game Sunday night, but this team has always just seemed to do things the hard way, and I tell you they will never give up.”

New Castle's all-stars are helping collect baseball gear for the team from Uganda. The two teams share a hotel.

“Not only had they never had baseball cleats because they played barefoot — they never owned their a pair of shoes. The Uganda kids started tearing up, and that got to our kids. And one of the players told his mom, said, ‘We got to do something to help them out,’” said Jerry Walden with the New Castle Little League Board.

The donations will be shipped out to the Uganda players.