It simply wasn't in the cards for the Coplay Legion baseball team this season.

Injuries to their pitching staff dealt them a blow that had them searching for some arms to carry them through the season. They wound up using eight different pitchers over the course of the year. And even when they got outstanding pitching, they found themselves on the short end of close games, often losing by a single run. That happened seven times during the course of their 18-game season.

"It was just a tough year," said manager Jim Murphy who completed his first year as the team's skipper.

While it was a year in which the breaks didn't go their way, he was encouraged by their willingness to compete every time they took the field.

"They played hard all year," said Murphy. "They never quit."

They also had to play short-handed a number of times, competing against deeper teams who could substitute freely throughout the game.

They were still in the playoff hunt as the final week approached, but their 3-2 loss to Fullerton on July 1 sealed their fate. They finished the season 3-15.

Murphy said that the future looks bright since they'll only lose two players from this years squad, pitcher Richard Yost and infielder Adam Miller. Yost has been the team's top pitcher the last two years, compiling a 1.91 ERA over 33 innings this season. Last year Yost led the Lehigh Valley Legion Baseball League with a 0.38 ERA, while also compiling the most saves at three. This year he was among the league leaders in strikeouts and innings pitched.

Adam Miller has been a solid performer for Coplay the last two years.

Coplay will return top hitters Austin Dreisbach (.353) and Gianni Sinatore (.452), as well as LVLBL All-Star Matthew Miller.

"Those guys had very good years," said Murphy.

Murphy said that that having Dreisbach back in the line-up, both as a hitter and a pitcher, will be a big plus for them. He also expects some players who are moving up from Connie Mack to provide some pitching depth that should help them move up the ladder in the LVLBL.

"Hopefully, those games that we lost 3-2 or 2-1, we'll be able to even up," said Murphy.

Sinatore is another big building block, and his leadership and experience will help bolster their chances of getting back into the postseason.

Murphy said that the team kept battling every game, with players filling in wherever needed. That list included Bryce Crum, Nathan Dekorte, Tyler King, Tyler Kline, Will Loy IV, Adam Miller, Jarrod Miller, Matthew Miller, Sinatore, Yost and Dreisbach.

"They stayed with the program; they never gave up," Murphy said.

That tenacity to keep fighting gives him hope for the future.

"I think next year will have a much stronger year," Murphy said.