Pool Takes Over Sister's Leadership Role

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Cortnye Pool of Fayetteville delivers a pitch Tuesday against Rogers Heritage at Veterans Park in Rogers.

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Cortnye Pool of Fayetteville delivers a pitch Tuesday against Rogers Heritage at Veterans Park in Rogers.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

— Cortnye Pool is picking up where her sister left off.

Pool, a junior pitcher/first baseman for the Fayetteville girls' softball team, had plenty of experience on the field with the Lady Bulldogs in her first two seasons at the varsity level. But in those first two seasons her older sister, Ashlye Pool, was around to help lead the way.

Profile

Cortnye Pool

School: Fayetteville

Class: Junior

Position: Pitcher/First Base

Notable: Selected to All-NWA Media team as a sophomore. … 3-3 in the circle as Fayetteville’s top pitcher this season with a 1.41 earned run average. Also hitting .400. … Third on a team last season with a .382 batting average to go with 19 RBIs. … Hit a team-high .500 in 7A/6A-West Conference games last year. … Her sister, Ashlye, played at Fayetteville and was NWA Media Softball Player of the Year last season.

7A/6A-West Conference Softball

Team^Overall^Conference

^W-L^W-L

Bentonville^5-0^3-0

Van Buren^11-1^2-0

Rogers Heritage^5-4^2-1

Fayetteville^7-5^1-1

Springdale Har-Ber^6-3^1-2

Springdale High^6-6^1-2

Rogers High^3-8^1-2

Siloam Springs^7-7^0-3

Tuesday’s Results

Rogers Heritage 6, Fayetteville 3

Van Buren 5, Springdale Har-Ber 3

Springdale High 6, Siloam Springs 3

Bentonville 3, Rogers High 0

Today’s Schedule

Fayetteville at Rogers High

Springdale High at Rogers Heritage

Van Buren at Bentonville

Springdale Har-Ber at Siloam Springs

Now with Ashlye -- last year's NWA Media Player of the Year -- graduated, it's the younger Pool's turn to take over the reigns.

"It was pretty nerve wracking at the beginning of the season," Pool said. "Being a leader and somebody that everybody looked up to was different. But as we started playing I got used to it."

Pool had done plenty to put her stamp on Lady Bulldogs success in the past. A two-year letterman, she backed up her older sister on the mound and was an NWA Media All-Area selection as a sophomore, hitting .382 with 19 RBIs, while earning two wins in the pitching circle.

Fayetteville is a much different team this season without Ashlye Pool and her talented senior class that won the 7A/6A-West Conference title last year.

"We don't have much room for error and really it's been one game to the next," Fayetteville coach Jason Shirey said. "I think (Cortnye) has been fine with that. It's still a process as far as trusting your teammates, knowing where to throw the ball. But as far as her attitude she's been great."

Pool has been one of Fayetteville's top hitters this season, batting .400 through the first 12 games. In the circle, her 3-3 record isn't a true indicator of just how well she's pitched. With a 1.41 ERA, the junior lefthander has already established herself as one of the top arms in the conference this season.

But Pool knows this Fayetteville (7-5, 1-1 7A/6A-West) team, unlike the teams in recent past, just needs a little more time.

"It's definitely a big change this year losing all the seniors we lost from last year," Pool said. "We just need some more experience."

Pool, one of four returning starters for Fayetteville, credits her sister with much of her success. And after watching Ashlye run the show for the Lady Bulldogs, Cortnye believes its those tips from her sibling that make her job as Fayetteville's new leader that much easier today.

"(Ashlye) was such an unbelievable leader," Cortnye Pool said. "Even though she might not have always been the best pitcher, she thought she was the best.

"I learned so much from her and I still talk to her every day. She's definitely who I look up to."

Sports on 04/03/2014