MANSFIELD, Conn. – The fifth-seeded University of Massachusetts Dartmouth softball team scored four unearned runs in the first inning after there were two out and none on and advanced in the winners' bracket of the 2017 Little East Conference tournament with a 4-0 win over second-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University Tuesday night at the Eastern Softball Stadium.

UMass Dartmouth (22-17) advances in the winners' bracket of the six-team, double-elimination tournament against fourth-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston Thursday at 2 p.m. while Eastern (13-24) plays an elimination game Thursday at 10 a.m. against No. 6 Keene State College.

All remaining games in the tournament will be played at top-seeded Plymouth State University Thursday and Friday.

Eastern freshman lefty Jacky Arndt (Chelmsford, MA) retired the first two batters of the game before two walks, two singles and two infield errors on the same play allowed the Corsairs to push across the four runs that would stand up.

UMass junior righty Hannah Smith, who was outdueled by Arndt in Eastern's 8-3 regular-season win at Eastern April 18 (Smith came back to fire a seven-hitter in UMass's second-game 2-1 win), tossed a complete-game four-hitter, striking out six and walking two. She faced only seven batters over the minimum in handing Eastern its first shutout loss since March 29.

Freshman third baseman Lexi Pereira  plated two runs in the first inning to make it 3-0 after two walks and an error produced the first run, and freshman rightfielder Brittany Polk made it 4-0 with an RBI single that chased Arndt in favor of freshman lefty Morgan Sanson (Thomaston). Sanson escaped further damage, then gave up only three hits with three strikeouts before Arndt returned to get the final out of the seventh and strand two runners.

Smith (11-9) carried a no-hitter through the first 2 2/3 innings, then got an inning fly ball to left after allowing consecutive two-out singles by freshman shortstop Sara Pisanelli (Wallingford) and senior centerfielder Samantha Bardos (Norwalk).

Smith was touched for a leadoff double in the fourth by senior DP Kristyn Ryan (Barkhamsted) but ended the threat with two fly balls and a line drive to center, then survived two two-out baserunners in the fifth by inducing an inning-ending infield pop.