White River season ends with loss to ‘Riders | Baseball

Except for a state champion, baseball teams entering postseason play see their seasons halted with a disappointing loss. Such was the case for the White River High Hornets, who had their 2015 campaign come to a crashing halt May 14 with a 4-0 loss to the Port Angeles Roughriders. The District 2/3 tournament game was played at Franklin Pierce High School.

By Kevin Hanson • May 18, 2015 1:54 pm
White River’s Joe Lacy stretches for a throw to nip a Port Angeles runner at first. The action came Thursday during the Hornets’ season finale.
White River’s Joe Lacy stretches for a throw to nip a Port Angeles runner at first. The action came Thursday during the Hornets’ season finale.

Except for a state champion, baseball teams entering postseason play see their seasons halted with a disappointing loss.

Such was the case for the White River High Hornets, who had their 2015 campaign come to a crashing halt May 14 with a 4-0 loss to the Port Angeles Roughriders. The District 2/3 tournament game was played at Franklin Pierce High School.

“It hurt, but it just wasn’t our day,” longtime Hornets coach Mike Williams said.

Beyond that, the veteran White River skipper was philosophical.

“I won’t let the outcome of this one game tarnish the legacy these 10 men leave behind,” Williams said, referring to the 10 seniors who pulled on a Hornet uniform for the final time. During the past four years, he pointed out, White River has been a fixture in the state’s Top 10, won a couple of South Puget Sound League 2A titles and made two appearances in the Class 2A state tournament.

Departing seniors include Joe Lacy, Colton Swanson, Austin Hill, Trent Buchanan, Sean Klapperich, Hunter Ford, Dustin France, Travis Truax, Mason Harris, and Mitchell Webster.

During the season finale, the Hornets mustered just five hits, consisting of one each by Buchanan, France, Webster, Ford and junior catcher Riley Johnson.

White River’s district experience opened with a pair of May 9 games, a 3-1 loss to the Sequim Wolves that was followed by a 10-0 shellacking of Highline High.

The victory over Highline was highlighted by a complete-game mound performance by France, who allowed the Pirates just three hits while walking only one.