Moments after breaking up his final post-game meeting of the 2015 season Monday, Mike Fitzgerald had begun to think ahead.

        Fitzgerald, the manager of Perkiomen's American Legion baseball team, asked Levi Stoudt and Erik Stalford to lobby their teammates with eligibility remaining to return for the 2016 season.  "Let's keep the band together," Fitzgerald said.

        Both players promised the manager their best effort.  "I feel confident we can bring the whole team back," Stoudt said after an 8-6, season-ending loss to Pine Grove in the Region 2 Tournament.

        According to Stoudt the Indians, who only graduate Chris Kachmar and Daulton Breyer, will remain eager to improve on their 2015 performance, which included a 25-10 record, a Bux-Mont League playoff championship and a victory in the Region 2 Tournament. 

        "We had an amazing year," Stalford said.

        With potentially five college players, along with the benefit of the postseason experience, Fitzgerald said he expects a deeper postseason performance next year.

        "We should be better," Stoudt said. "We're all going to be a year older. We will do whatever we can to help the younger players improve."

        Post 184 opened the tournament at Peter Kraft Memorial Field in the Freemansburg Bethlehem Athletic Association complex with a 5-1 win over Lower Macungie on July 18.

        Despite struggling with his fastball command, Stoudt allowed just one hit over six innings to improve his record to 6-0. He allowed six base runners but registered eight strikeouts against the No. 2 seed from Lehigh County.

        Daron and Bryan Pijanowski sparked Perkiomen's offense in the victory. Daron Pijanowski finished with three hits, while Bryan Pijanowski added two singles, including the hit that triggered a decisive  three-run rally in the third inning.

        Stalford earned the save by tossing the final three innings.

        On Sunday, the Indians took an early 1-0 lead against Hellertown on Stoudt's leadoff home run. But the Northampton County champions scored eight of the next nine runs off Kachmar to take a commanding 9-2 lead.

        Anthony Sneska, Hellertown's cleanup hitter who homered twice and finished with five RBI, tied the game in the bottom of the second with a solo shot.

        In the third inning, Sneska's two-run double highlighted a four-run rally.

        Brett Fullerton delivered an RBI-single on the fourth inning for the Indians. He added another run-scoring hit in the eighth to cap a two-run rally.

        Daron Pijanowski finished with a team-high three hits and scored two runs for Post 184.

        Facing elimination Monday, Perkiomen fell behind 4-0 through three innings behind starting pitcher Devon Crossin against Pine Grove.

        Post 184's offense squandered several opportunities early. It left the bases loaded in the three of the initial four innings.

        Still, the team mounted a four-run rally in the sixth inning. Perkiomen sent nine hitters to the plate during the frame, scoring all the runs with two outs off Pine Grove starting pitcher Kobe D'Agostino.

        But the Schuylkill-Berks League champions rallied for three runs in the bottom the seventh to snap a 4-4 tie. A solo homer by Zack Boltz off Stalford capped the flurry. 

        Still, the Indians continued to battle. Down 8-4 in the ninth inning, Bryan Pijanowski and Stoudt delivered RBI hits. However, the final rally fell short.

        "I'm pretty happy with the way we played," Stoudt said. "We made some mistakes, more than usual."  Stoudt called the team's 10-0 victory over Souderton, to clinch the league playoff title on July 13, the highlight of the season.

        "Everyone on the team was so happy after that win," said Stoudt, who tossed a seven-inning perfect game. "It's a feeling I will never forget."