This isn’t the way it was supposed to end for this group of University of Hawaii softball seniors.

When they contributed so mightily to UH’s run to the College World Series in 2010 as freshmen, the possibilities seemed endless for a team that would have Kelly Majam, Jessica Iwata and Kaia Parnaby around for three more years.

Definitely a group to build around. Two All-America sluggers and the latest in a long line of talented and durable pitchers to come to Manoa from Australia.

But with Sunday’s regional loss to Washington, the Rainbow Wahine’s postseason record (including conference-tournament play) the past three years dropped to 4-8. It was 9-4 in 2010.

It’s hard to find fault with a group that won 176 games in their four years at UH, for a .759 winning percentage. Their regular-season excellence year after year was beyond commendable and consistently thrilling. They put Wahine softball on the map and in the rankings and the regionals, three years out of four.

And that’s a big part of what makes going out so weakly Sunday so disappointing. Heightened expectations.

Washington’s No. 2 pitcher baffled the Wahine, no-hitting them, striking out eight of them in a row. Meanwhile, the Huskies easily handled UH’s ace, Parnaby, for the second day in a row.

It was no fluke, and if these teams met four times, Washington would win three. Actually, that is precisely what happened this year, as UH and UW split two games in Hawaii in February. In UH’s 5-2 win, the Wahine beat Bryana Walker — the same Bryana Walker who no-hit them Sunday.

Parnaby was the most valuable player in UH sports this season, any of them. Without her, the Wahine wouldn’t have been much better than a .500 team, even with their strong lineup.

I took a long time to completely buy into the popular line of "as Parnaby goes, so go the Wahine," especially since No. 2 pitcher Loie Kesterson showed marked improvement at the end of the regular season. But neither was good against Washington in the regional.

Was Parnaby worn down? Perhaps.

Contrary to what some believe, softball pitchers cannot throw an endless number of innings. At some point, their legs give out, and that can lead to ineffectiveness as quickly as a tired arm does for a baseball pitcher.

"As a pitcher, that (one) game break means so much," said Stephanie Rickets, who was the analyst for the telecast of Sunday’s game. "The perfect amount of rest."

Ricketts, who was referring to Washington’s 1-2 punch of Kaitlin Inglesby and Walker, knows first-hand of what she speaks. She was the UH ace for three seasons, including 2010 as a sophomore. Coach Bob Coolen had someone pretty good named Kaia Parnaby right behind her when Ricketts needed a rest.

UH has a very promising recruiting class coming in, including pitchers Heather Morales and Brittany Hitchcock.

This program remains on solid ground.

It’s just a little sad that the graduating class departs without a return trip to rarefied air.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783 or on Twitter as @dave_reardon.