Jimerson triggers Malvern romp
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — An all-state performer in each of the last two seasons, Malvern’s Demias Jimerson has long been considered one of the best baseball players in the state.
The senior proved that status with his performance Friday night. Jimerson had two singles, one home run and three RBIs at the plate, also pitching one scoreless inning with no hits and two strikeouts in Malvern’s 14-1 win over Jessieville (2-4, 0-2).
“He’s a talented young man and he’s fun to watch,” Malvern coach Matthew Weigand said. “He’s everything a coach dreams of. He’s just a great kid, a hard worker and does everything you ask him to do.”
Leading 1-0 at the end of the second inning, the Leopards (8-4, 1-0) got their bats rolling in the top of the third. Brandon Scott and Garrett Mayhan each doubled, while Jordan Hart and Parker Freer followed with one RBI each.
With the inning extended by two Jessieville errors, Malvern pushed its lead to 7-0 when Jimerson ripped a three-run home run over the left field fence. The Lions had six errors in the five-inning loss.
“We have a lot of young guys just trying to step in that haven’t had a starting role,” Jessieville coach Ryan O’Neal said. “I’ve got five guys that are starting that have never started before. So, just getting that experience and getting confidence underneath them is going to be huge.”
While the Leopards had seven hits through the first three innings, Jessieville was held in check by starting pitcher Jace Turner.
The senior right-hander allowed just two hits through three scoreless frames, finishing with one run allowed on three hits with four strikeouts and no walks in four innings of work.
“My assistant, coach (Chance) Cleveland works with our pitchers, and he’s just done a great job of developing those guys,” said Weigand. “Jace did a great job tonight. He kept them off balance, competed in the zone and gave us a chance to win today.”
After Turner retired the side in order in the bottom of the third, Malvern stayed hot at the plate in the top of the fourth.
Turner and Darion Weaver each drove in a run and Jimerson added a two-run single to give the Leopards a commanding 13-0 advantage.
“I guess we’ve got spring break on our mind and we’re still trying to work our way out of basketball season after the state tournament,” O’Neal said. “We haven’t had a real rhythm with school, testing, the weather and all that going on. Hopefully, we’ll have a good prep going into our spring break tournament.”
The Lions averted the shutout in the bottom of the fourth as Logan Perkins singled and later scored on a throwing error by the Leopards before Turner retired the side.
Malvern’s Drew Golden delivered an RBI single in the top of the fifth and Jimerson took over on the mound in the bottom of the frame, setting the Lions down in order to enact the mercy rule with the Leopards leading by more than 10 runs.
Freer finished with two singles in four at-bats for Malvern, while Scott singled, doubled and reached on an error in four plate appearances.
Perkins singled twice for Jessieville, but suffered the loss with 13 runs allowed on 10 hits in four innings pitched, issuing three walks and one strikeout.
Both teams will open spring break tournaments on Thursday, Jessieville against Dierks
(5-3) at Magnet Cove and Malvern against Dardanelle (6-1,
5-0) at Joe T. Robinson. “Throwing strikes and playing solid defense is what we’re trying to get to right now,” said O’Neal. “Our bats will be there. We were putting the ball in play, but they are a solid club. Today was the kind of game where you have to keep it to a one-run game, and we’re still fighting to get there to battle that.”