Johnson, Livonia Churchill baseball edge Franklin in pitching duel

Jaylen Johnson credits having a strong example at home for coming through in stressful moments on the mound for Livonia Churchill. And the Chargers’ 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. More: Livonia Public Schools leaving KLAA for Lakes Valley Conference “That’s really a thanks to my dad,” said Johnson, who improved his team to 16-5 and 8-1 in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association-East. “My dad has been really big for me because he’s 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. That’s helped me when I get myself into jams, just knowing that I have to get myself out of them. ” 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 year’s start.

“He always tells me to just compete,” Jaylen added. “He wants me to compete every pitch, every day, every battle. Last year, these guys came out and beat me.