County champs! Brayden Smith takes no-hitter into sixth, leads Decatur Central to title

On the mound under the bright lights at Victory Field, Decatur Central pitcher Brayden Smith entered a state where it was just him and catcher Gauge Sprague. The senior had complete control of his repertoire with his fastball exploding through the zone, and the late-breaking action on his off-speed pitches keeping Lawrence North off balance. Smith faced only two over the minimum through five innings before the Wildcats recorded their first hit.

The lefty cruised through six innings, stumbling a bit in the seventh before regrouping and closing out an 8-3 for the Marion County Tournament championship on Tuesday night. "I was working everything; curveball, changeup, slider," Smith said. "It was all working.

I was locating very well. ... I knew before the game it was going to be working today.

"You just get into rhythm. I don't want to say you don't know what's going on, but you see black. You're just going out there and I'm doing me.