Etowah’s trip to the Shaw Invitational in Columbus in September turned out to be both a blessing and a curse for the Lady Eagles and pitcher Bridgette Flaherty.

The sophomore proved that she had the ability to compete at the varsity level, and her talents were at their peak during the five-game tournament.

“She had some really good outings in Columbus,” Etowah coach Tonya Sebring said, “and that’s when I thought she had turned the corner into becoming a very good pitcher for us. Then, she got injured on the last pitch of the game.”

Flaherty suffered a hip flexor at the conclusion of the tournament, and missed much of the next three weeks — and eight games — as a result. She ultimately returned to help lead Etowah to a best-of-three semifinal series win over Cherokee in the Region 5AAAAA tournament, but she sat out the championship series against top-seeded Lassiter.

“She got clearance to play (against Cherokee), so we put her out there and she pitched well,” Sebring said. “We were already guaranteed a spot in the postseason, so she didn’t throw against Lassiter because we didn’t want to overwork her. But, she wanted to pitch.

“Most people wouldn’t battle with that injury, but she wanted to go out there. She’s a competitor and doesn’t like to lose. That’s a good combination to have for a pitcher with her athletic ability.”

The 2011 Cherokee Tribune Softball Pitcher of the Year, Flaherty completed the season with a 15-4 record with 117 strikeouts and a 1.86 ERA in 120 1/3 innings pitched.

“I was really surprised and excited,” said Flaherty said of her reaction when she found out she won the honor. “I’m only a sophomore, and it was a big deal for me. I was really excited to be named pitcher of the year. My coach actually texted me when I was at my house, and I told my parents, and we were all freaking out.”

Flaherty’s numbers this year included 10 shutouts and a perfect game. Even with a healing hip flexor, she pitched a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over Alpharetta in the first game of Etowah’s first-round series of the Class AAAAA state playoffs. She followed that up with a two-hit, nine-strikeout performance against eventual state champion Collins Hill in the first game of the second round.

“Her ability to locate pitches according to the situation, and her mental toughness, are probably her biggest strengths,” Sebring said. “She’s very deserving of this award. To me, she’s one of the best pitchers around. If I’m there and I need a win, I want her in the circle to battle with me. She’s a sophomore and her future looks bright.”

Flaherty credited her training and her teammates for helping her win games for Etowah, which finished 24-11 on the season.

“In the offseason, I pitched every day and practiced a lot,” she said. “Another good thing was my defense was always behind me and always got the outs for me, so I was very lucky to have them playing with me.

“Getting ahead of the count and having lots of spin and movement on my pitches was really important for me to be successful. Now, I’m working on getting more pitches as accurately as I can, and getting my speed higher.”

Though Etowah not advancing to the state finals in Columbus, Flaherty believes it’s only a matter of time before the Lady Eagles get there.

“I believe our team was very successful this year, and I believe next year we’ll be even more successful,” she said. “We work very hard at practice, and I believe we have a lot of potential.

“The most important part for us was definitely getting into the sweet 16 this year because, last year, we only got into the top 32. So, we’re making strides to get into the top eight next year.”