Every athlete’s dream is to close their careers in victorious fashion and South Pemiscot senior baseball player Jadie Morton wasn’t able to do that, as the Bulldogs fell 3-2 to defending champion Bernie last month in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 Tournament. Having said that, Morton walked off the diamond with his head held high, because his final outing was a very impressive effort on his part.

“He’s helped us,” veteran South Pemiscot coach Jason House said of having Morton on the mound this spring, which wasn’t a guarantee (more on that in a moment). “He’s kept us in a lot of ball games.”

Morton had to overcome a pair of shoulder surgeries earlier in his career, and his availability this spring wasn’t assured. But with possibly only “one last go-around” remaining in his arm, he wanted to leave his high school career knowing he gave his all.

“He hadn’t pitched that much for us as an underclassman,” House continued. “He came out this year and said that he was going to go one last go-around and leave it on the line.

“I’m glad he did.”

Against Bernie, which had won 17 games this spring, Morton scared the bejesus out of a very established program, despite the Bulldogs’ having struggled to just four wins this spring.

Morton worked six innings against the Mules, allowed just three hits, one earned run, walked a couple of batters, and struck out five on that memorable day.

House only took him out because he had reached the MSHSAA-imposed 105 pitch count.

“I don’t think it’s any one special pitch,” House said of Morton’s ability to keep hitters off-balance. “I think that it is part of location, and I always say there is a difference between a pitcher and a thrower, and I think he is a pitcher.”

Morton had the Bulldogs in a 2-2 tie when he walked off the mound for the final time, which was about all anyone could have asked for out of him.

“Mentally,” House concluded, “he’s pretty smart about the game. That is one thing that I think we will miss.”