Livonia Churchill defeated Franklin 1-0 in a tense pitching duel on May 4. Jaylen Johnson struck out six and set up closer Lucas Brown for the final three innings of the shutout.
Key points
Livonia Churchill won 1-0 against Franklin
Jaylen Johnson struck out six batters
Lucas Brown closed the game with four strikeouts
Churchill improved to 16-5 overall
Team is 8-1 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East
Jaylen Johnson credits having a strong example at home for coming through in stressful moments on the mound for Livonia Churchill.
And the Chargersā 1-0 win May 4 at rival Franklin had plenty of them.
The junior struck out six over four innings, but also walked five and allowed four hits. Still, he persevered, never wavering in each jam he created, setting up closer Lucas Brown, who struck out four, to finish the shutout over the final three frames.
āThatās really a thanks to my dad,ā said Johnson, who improved his team to 16-5 and 8-1 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East. āMy dad has been really big for me because heās always had a lot of confidence around the house. He raised me to be the man that I am and to not back down from anything. Thatās helped me when I get myself into jams, just knowing that I have to get myself out of them.ā
Livonia Churchill's Jaylen Johnson pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Livonia Churchill's Jaylen Johnson pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Yes, Dion Johnson has poured plenty of wisdom into his son over the years, enough to give Jaylen the confidence to take the mound against the 12-6 Patriots, who got to him early in last yearās start.
āHe always tells me to just compete,ā Jaylen added. āHe wants me to compete every pitch, every day, every battle. Last year, these guys came out and beat me. In the first inning, they put up two runs, and we lost, 2-1. I didnāt compete there, but whenever I face adversity, I always make sure to come back again and compete because I love big moments. Thatās why I train and work hard. Those are the moments that are great opportunities to showcase what I have.ā
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It also helps that heās about 16 pounds heavier than last year, though thatās more about getting older than his regimen in the gym.
Last year, he added muscle, giving him more strength on the mound. But after the season, he lost that weight without regular access to a weight room. Now that he can drive, heās in the gym almost every day to lift and keep it on.
Livonia Churchill's Roman Bass runs to third base during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Livonia Churchill's Roman Bass runs to third base during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
āHeās also matured as a pitcher, for sure, from last year,ā coach Lawrence Scheffer said. āWeāve been giving him a little bit of a longer leash because heās been a bulldog for us on the mound. He gets behind sometimes, but he keeps fighting through, keeps sticking to it and pounding the strike zone. Heās been great for us.ā
So has the rest of the Chargersā pitching staff and defense.
Brown pitched just as great, and the defense backed it up with double plays and diving efforts to limit Franklinās chances.
The Patriots put 16 runners on base. Four times, they left at least two on. Four runners were tagged out.
They had a runner in scoring position in the second, but Brody Gross didnāt have enough time to score on Cooper Scholzās sacrifice to right field.
Livonia Franklin's Logan McLaughlin pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Livonia Franklin's Logan McLaughlin pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
In the third, Gross lined a ball that looked like it would score Robert Keskitalo, but shortstop Roman Bass made a diving stop.
An inning later, Brody Burgessā liner nearly brought home Jonah Greis, but catcher Nate Baron made a run-saving tag at the plate at the last second.
Franklin also struggled in the fifth, loading the bases with one out.
āOur situational stuff wasnāt where it needed to be today,ā Franklin coach Matt Fournier said. āThatās why we lost the game 1-0 instead of winning, 2-1. The kids were doing everything they could to win it, but today wasnāt our day to put the ball in play with less than two outs. We had a couple of chances to put bunts down, but we didnāt get a chance to do that.ā
The struggles at the plate overshadowed Logan McLaughlinās outing. The senior went the distance, striking out five, walking three, allowing six hits and hitting one batter.
āLogan threw outstanding again,ā Fournier said. āWe made some pretty good defensive plays ourselves. We were able to win a lot of innings. ā¦ Loganās a senior, and he wanted to finish it. Itās a tough loss. You remember your 1-0 wins, and you remember your 1-0 losses, and heās going to have more of both as he goes forward with his career.ā
Livonia Churchill's Lucas Brown pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
Livonia Churchill's Lucas Brown pitches during a Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East baseball game on Monday, May 4, 2026.
McLaughlinās only mistake came in the second, when a wild pitch allowed Caleb Connolly to score the gameās lone run.
āOur guys came out, pitched strikes and made some nice defensive plays,ā Scheffer said. āWeāve been battling all year, preaching pitching and defense, even when at times weāve been struggling with guys on base and moving the runner, trying to manufacture that extra run. But our pitching staff has been lights out. Theyāve been phenomenal, and our defense has just been tremendous this year.ā
Thatās been enough for the Chargers.
Theyāre tied with rival Stevenson atop the East standings, holding the tiebreaker in run differential after a 12-0 and 4-3 split in April.
Churchill is right where it wants to be in its final season in the KLAA. It's two wins from clinching a spot in the league tournament and three from the No. 1 seed.
If Johnson and the staff keep pitching fearlessly, Bass and the defense keep making game-saving plays and the offense scratches across runs, the Chargers will be in the mix for the league title.
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.
