INDIANAPOLIS — Senior Breanna Pryor led a 10-hit University of Saint Francis offensive with three hits in a 9-2 win over No. 4-seed Mt. Vernon Nazarene University in a Crossroads League Tournament quarterfinal win on Wednesday afternoon at Marian University.
The reward for USF is a 3 p.m. winners bracket clash on Thursday at 3 p.m. against CL champion and undefeated NAIA No. 2-ranked Marian University, which puts a 48-0 record on the line. MU scored a run in the first inning, the ONLY run of the game in a 1-0 win over No. 8-seed Spring Arbor University in the first game on Wednesday morning.
Pryor was one of three Lady Cougars collecting more than one hit. Pryor went 3-for-3, scored two runs and knocked in a pair. No. 2 hitter and freshman Elandra Shafer went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Abby Mosier went 2-for-4. Pryor and Shafer doubled while Madi Schwartz tripled and scored twice.
Brooke Herron went the distance in the circle to earn her fourth consecutive win and her fifth win in her last six decisions (one no-decision). She recorded her sixth complete game this season and fourth consecutive complete game. She struck out four, walked one and scattered eight hits to improve to 7-5. She also left seven MVNU baserunners stranded
Pryor got the USF offense kick-started in her first at-bats with a double to left-center to lead-off the first inning. Shafer walked and both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Lizzie Meyer walked to load the bases and Taylor Tucker singled through the left side scoring Pryor. Jade Mollenkopf got hit by a pitch to plate Shafer and Ashleigh Morrow grounded into a double play while Meyer scored from third.
Pryor singled in Mosier in the top of the second for a 4-0 USF lead. MVNU scored single runs in the second and third cutting the USF advantage to two runs, 4-2. Herron didn’t allow another MVNU run while USF scored two in the fourth and secured the win with three in the sixth.
Shafer singled in Grace Renbarger for a 5-2 USF lead in the fourth and Schwartz later scored on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead. Schwartz led off the sixth with a triple and Pryor bounced a single to left to score Schwartz. After Pryor stole second, her 130th career stolen base, Shafer doubled to centerfield scoring Pryor. Tucker hit a sacrifice fly scoring Shafer from third for USF’s ninth and final run.
Pryor became just the fourth player in conference history to reach 130 or more career stolen bases. It was her USF single-season record 42nd stolen base this season. She also became the 21st player in conference history with 240 or more career hits reaching the 240 plateau with her three-hit day. Her double was career No. 32, which tied her with Morrow for No. 7 on the USF career doubles list. And Pryor became the first Lady Cougar to score 150 career runs with her two on Wednesday