LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- The Tusculum University softball team had 16 student-athletes named 2021 Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes, the Association announced on Tuesday (Oct. 5) afternoon. The Pioneers were a part of over 8,800 individuals that earned the honor, the highest total in the award's history.

The rankings and honors recognize the academic prowess of softball teams across the Association's membership, ranging from high schools to NCAA Division I institutions. Student-athletes earning a 3.50 GPA or higher for 2020-21 are eligible for the individual award, while teams must have a collective grade-point average of 3.00 to be named.

Tusculum was among seven South Atlantic Conference programs to be named on the team list, finishing the academic year with a 3.52 GPA. The 16 Pioneers trailed Catawba and Newberry, both with 17 student-athletes, to be ranked third across the league. Lincoln Memorial (15), Wingate (14), Coker (10), Queens (10), and UVA Wise (6) rounded out the SAC players.

Anna Alloway, an outfielder from Louisville, Tennessee, earned a 3.95 in the 2020-21 year, but finished with a perfect mark in the spring. During her fourth season in Greeneville, Alloway started all 42 games, recording a team-high .381 batting average, lineup-leading .406 on-base average, slugged .581 (second on the team), and a .977 fielding percentage. In addition, she also collected CoSIDA Academic All-America® and All-District® honors, SAC Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year, conference honorable mention, D2CCA All-Southeast Region, D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award, and SAC All-Tournament Team. Across the TU record book, Alloway ranks second in career home runs (25), fourth in career slugging percentage (.596), tied fifth in career on-base percentage (.405), sixth in career batting average (.358), eighth in career RBI (105), eighth in career total bases (288), tied eighth in career sacrifice flies (5), and ninth in career doubles (38). This is her second academic honor from the NFCA.

Hailey Berglof, a junior from Maryville, Tenn., spent last season as a bullpen catcher and also earned D2 ADA honors. She garnered a perfect fall in the classroom and finished with a 3.93 average.

Claire Crout (Candler, N.C.) played in 29 games with 19 starts during her sophomore season, notching a .226/.279/.290/.946 slashline. She spent time at second base and a pinch hitter/runner as well. Crout collected academic laurels from the D2 ADA for the first time in addition to the NFCA accolade with her 3.57 GPA.

Brittney Franse, a preseason all-conference second-teamer, was the primary second baseman for the Pioneers in her final collegiate season. Academically, she averaged a 3.95 GPA, including a 4.0 in the fall semester. The Knoxville, Tennessee native played and started in 37 contests, racking up a solid .991 fielding percentage. Franse ranks in the top-10 in career sacrifice flies, sacrifice bunts, and fielding percentage in program history. She also holds the single-game record for sacrifice bunts with three in the 2021 SAC Tournament semifinal against Anderson. Franse joins Alloway as the only Pioneer on the list to be a two-time academic honoree by the NFCA and accompanied her teammate on the CoSIDA Academic All-District® team.

Kristen Gass, an Etowah, N.C. native, was typically first off the bench last season, appearing in 32 games with three starts in left field. The senior scored 13 runs as a pinch runner, in addition to D2 ADA and NFCA honors as a nursing major. Gass earned a 3.83 grade-point average for the academic year.

Hannah Hughes (Baxter, Tenn.) saw action in 11 games with seven starts in the infield as a junior transfer. In her first semester at TU, she earned a 4.0, finishing with a 3.93 for the year. Like many of her teammates, Hughes was on the D2 ADA academic achievement list.

Hayley Lazo, a native of Port Orange, Florida, started 35-of-37 games played and spent the majority of the season at first base. She had an impact first year, setting the career fielding percentage record (.992), while tying the home run (3) and total base (12) single-game records. Lazo garnered a D2 ADA academic award based on her 3.76 GPA.

Kiley Longmire, a Knoxville, Tennessee product, started 40 games at third base and hit a team-high 12 doubles. She was hit by six pitches as well, the most on the team. In the classroom, Longmire earned a 3.97 GPA, highlighted by a perfect spring.

Angela Masiello appeared in 20 games, primarily as a pinch runner, scoring seven times. The Mantua, Ohio resident collected a 3.63 GPA as a freshman.

Maddie McBride, an outfielder from Mint Hill, North Carolina, earned a 3.57 GPA during her first collegiate year.

Madison Michael, a right-hander from Cumming, Georgia, pitched five games in relief, picking up one win. The nursing major also collected D2 ADA academic honors with her 3.93 GPA for the year, including a 4.0 in the fall.

Kaitlyn Pickens, a Knoxville, Tennessee native, pitched in 10 contests with seven starts, including three complete games. She racked up D2 ADA honors in her final two seasons with the Pioneers, due to her 3.97 GPA in 2020-21. Pickens earned a 4.0 during the program's record spring.

Keylon Reynolds of Kingston, Tennessee finished with a perfect 4.0 GPA as a freshman biology/pre-med major. She pitched in 14 games (second-most on the team), starting in six, to earn a 2-2 record. Reynolds also collected a TU Female Freshman of the Year Academic Award.

The team MVP, Emily Sappington, ended her first season at Tusculum with a 3.64 GPA and a 2.38 ERA as a left-handed pitcher. She led the pitching staff with 25 appearances and 21 starts to compile a 12-9 record with two saves across 141 innings. At the plate, the Ashburn, Virginia native hit .333 (second-best on the team). Alongside the NFCA academic honor, Sappington collected numerous other accolades, including SAC All-Tournament Team/MVP, SAC AstroTurf Pitcher of the Week, NFCA All-Region, D2CCA All-Region, and D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award.

Claire Smeltzer, a product of Smithfield, Virginia, was the primary left fielder for the Pioneers, starting all 40 games in which she played. She finished with an impressive .316 batting average as a freshman. Smeltzer was also named to the SAC All-Tournament Team for her performance in TU's title run. She collected a 3.76 GPA as a freshman.

Julia Zelinski, a utility player from Oak Forest, Illinois, finished her freshman year with 3.5 GPA.

Tusculum is coming off of a monumental season, going 23-19 (13-11 SAC) in 2021. For the first time in program history, the Pioneers won the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship, advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament, and earned a victory in the Southeast Regional.