The experienced ended all too quickly for the White River High girls, who were eliminated in the opening rounds of the Class 2A fastpitch tournament.

The Hornets had advanced to the state’s Sweet 16, joining teams from throughout the state at Carlon Park in Selah.

White River first took the field at 10 a.m. Friday, paired against Granite Falls High. A 10-4 loss tossed the Hornets into the loser’s bracket, where another loss meant elimination from the tourney.

That’s just what happened.

Seven more innings of state softball, played Friday afternoon, resulted in a 9-5 loss at the hands of the Cheney High Blackhawks, who had been blasted 12-2 by Tumwater in the initial round.

In the tourney opener, Sam Mitchell smacked a home run.

This marked the second straight state tournament appearance for the White River girls.