Coventry drops opener to Houston, faces Des Moines today Rhode Island state champions enjoying maiden voyage to Williamsport, Penn.

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Penn. — Coventry Little League might have lost its first Little League World Series game, but championship dreams are far from dashed.

Coventry plays again Saturday against Midwest champion Des Moines, Iowa in an elimination game. Win that contest and the New England champions keep their historic season alive and stay in the championship hunt.

A 3-1 opening-night loss against Houston, Texas Thursday night stung some, but it is a setback, not an end point.

“It’s amazing to walk into that stadium. We’re used to playing in little Coventry, Rhode Island and coming in and playing tonight on that field is just an amazing sight to take in,” Coventry coach Lou Simon said. “I’m sure early on they were a little taken in by it, but they battled through. Once you start playing the game baseball is baseball whether you’re playing here or in your backyard. They’ll be better on Saturday and we’ll get right back it Saturday.

Coventry plays an Iowa team that held a one-run, third-inning lead Thursday against Mid-Atlantic champion Staten Island, New York, before losing, 5-2. Staff ace Brody Watson cannot pitch after throwing 75 pitches in that game, so Alex Stewart, who pitched the final inning, could get the call.

Coventry will have all but Tommy Turner eligible to pitch after he threw 65 pitches against Texas. Jake Mather was strong in 1.3 innings pitched and could start against Iowa. Logan Lama, who earned the New England championship title victory is another option.

Either way, Coventry is embracing the opportunity.

“I told them this Southwest team is one of the better teams here and we’re a few mistakes and a couple hits away from winning that game so there’s no reason to be tight,” Simon said. “We just have to keep battling, win on Saturday and see what we can do from there.”

Coventry started strong against Texas, taking a 1-0 lead in the first when Mather hit a two-out single. He went to second on a passed ball before Lama hit a slow roller to pitcher Carter Pitts who slipped as he fielded the ball and then overthrew the first baseman, allowing Mather to score.

Turner cruised through the first two innings and was a strike from preserving that 1-0 lead into the bottom of the third before Ryan Selvaggi delivered the game’s biggest hit.

Ethan Goldstein led the inning off with a single but Turner retired the next two batters and went up 0-2 on Selvaggi. Unfazed, Selvaggi belted the next pitch toward the rightfield wall, tying the game and hustling to third. Selvaggi’s speed provided huge dividends as he scored the go-ahead run a pitch later on a wild pitch as Texas went up, 2-1.

Texas added an insurance run in the sixth when Justin Michaelis (3 for 3) hit a lead-off double and scored on Andy Guy’s single.

Turner struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings while Mather added three strikeouts in his 1.1 innings. If Coventry wins Saturday Turner would be able to pitch in a Monday elimination game.

Turner blew Texas away early, opening the game with five straight strikes, retiring the side on nine pitches and striking out four through two innings. Following his dominant first inning, however, Turner had to sit through a 30-minute rain delay.

“We had nice momentum going on. Sitting for a half hour didn’t help his arm at all,” Simon said. “It was a little momentum swing for us to have to sit for a half hour and we didn’t get too much of a chance to get the boys warmed up. Tommy pitched very well but sitting for that half hour definitely had an impact on him.”

Mather celebrated his 13th birthday by continuing the stellar play that has made him one of the team’s most valuable players all summer. He delivered a hit, scored a run, pitched well and made one of the game’s best plays, snaring a fourth-inning line drive that was headed down the left-field line before doubling the lead runner off first base.

“If you’re going to have a birthday party have it in Williamsport and celebrate it with 30,000 people,” Simon said. “Jake played great Jake always brings it.”