Tears fell as the Boonville community mourned its softball star Ashton Pryor
BOONVILLE — The lights at the Boonville softball field were on for a reason.
They shouldn’t be. Not on this chilly February evening. No game will be played here for another month. But if there was a choice, they would stay on in perpetuity. That’s because a school, a team and a community are grieving.
It’s painful. Boonville is doing its best to hold on. And those lights are to remember a special young woman.
Ashton Pryor, 17, died on Friday morning in a single-car crash in northern Warrick County while driving to school. Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday at Living Word Christian Church with a service to follow.
Ashton Pryor:Standout Boonville High School softball player killed in morning car wreck
Pryor was a junior at Boonville High School and a standout softball player. She was more than that judging by the scene at Mike Wilson Field for a prayer vigil on Sunday. A crowd several rows deep took up every seat and lined the outfield.
They cried together. They laughed and shared stories. They were here to remember.
“We’re in the business of kids,” said Boonville athletics director Kevin Davis. “For a community to have to do this is not fair. We’re not through it yet. It’s going to be a long spring.”
Pryor made an impact with her giant personality. It was described as sassy or even jokingly boujee. She had the need to be in the middle of every photo. Her giant sunglasses were called the Pryor 2000s. Boonville softball coach Kalyn Gore called her a “fireball who would make the game light up.” Davis will remember how she’d ask in that big persona, “What have you done today, Kevin?” while walking to the softball field.
Pryor was also loved because she gave so much of it. She worked with the YMCA Child Care, a program providing childcare for youngsters during hours when there is no adult supervision at home, at Oakdale Elementary where her mother is the principal. One of her co-workers described her as the “purest form of human.”
She didn’t have best friends but rather additional sisters. Pryor made it a point to say she loved them.
“I had no clue she’d become the sister I didn’t know I needed,” teammate Chloe Apple told the crowd. “She loved hard, fought hard and cared hard. Everything was 110 percent. I know she’d hug everyone and say I love you. You were my light, my rock, my sister, my best friend, my everything.”
Pryor was a dedicated and decorated athlete. She lettered in volleyball for the Pioneers but her true calling came on the softball diamond. A starter at third base as a freshman for the state champions in 2021, she also won a national championship with the Fusion 16U National Unruh/Hunt team.
That's why not just Boonville is hurting. This was felt throughout the region's softball community. From Newburgh to Floyd Knobs, Bedford to Fort Branch, and everywhere in between. Even if they didn’t know her personally, if one program is hurting then everyone is.
These teams also turned on their lights, even if only for 12 minutes in honor of Pryor’s uniform number. The outpouring of support was noticed. Players from several schools were in attendance Sunday.
They’re also hurting in Terre Haute. It’s where Pryor should have been in two years. She committed in November to Indiana State, the same program where her older sister plays.
“She lit up every room she entered,” teammate Becca Campbell said to those in attendance. “She always told us I don’t know what I’m going to do without you guys next year. Little did we know we were the ones trying to figure out what we’re going to do without her. Everything is all for you.”
The talent was clear to anyone who watched. Playing with passion and fire in the infield, she looked like the best player on the field. Pryor had three hits and drove in four runs during a sectional championship victory as a freshman. It was a prelude to a state title run from the Pioneers.
That game isn’t what stands out now. She wanted to talk that day about winning a sectional title with her older sister. She happily discussed the name written on her wrist of Kate Bruggenschmidt, who passed away in 2015 after an ATV accident at 11 years old. Pryor also considered her a sister. She played each game in her memory.
The two families were once again standing side by side this weekend. A reminder nobody is truly alone when something tragic happens.
“It’s crazy that your heart can be shattered but filled with so much love,” Ashlee Bruggenschmidt said to the crowd. “Ashton Pryor did shine like a bright diamond. When she loves you, you knew it. If you’re going to fight or going to war, you want Ashton Pryor to go with you.”
Pryor is survived by her parents, Brandon and Jamie; her sisters, Randi Jo and Peyton; grandparents, great-grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, teammates and friends. Her immediate family was in attendance Sunday.
To end the prayer vigil, the song "Diamonds" by Rihanna was chosen. It speaks of finding light and how loved ones are shooting stars in the sky. It also happened to be the artist’s 12th No. 1 single and was released in 2012. Remember, Pryor wore No. 12.
Those in Boonville and the surrounding communities are grieving now. But they know where to look to be reminded of Pryor. So, may the lights continue to stay on.
Follow Courier & Press sports reporter Kyle Sokeland on Twitter @kylesokeland.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Boonville community mourns loss of softball player Ashton Pryor
