Smith Hurls No-Hitter, EG Wins Playoff Opener

Rowdy Tellez got the start on the mound for the Elk Grove Thundering Herd in its Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoff opener against Napa. He walked the first Indian batter and on the first pitch to the next batter, he stumbled off the mound, holding his throwing elbow in pain. He over-extended it.

David Smith

Head Coach Jeff Carlson pointed to David Smith to come off the bench and begin warm-ups.  From that point on, the game was all Smith's. The junior right hander threw the school's second-ever playoff no-hitter as he went the rest of the way, striking out nine and leading Elk Grove to a 1-0 win over Napa. 


Smith walked two batters, one of them was the first man he faced in the first inning. The closest Napa got to a hit came in the third inning, but center fielder Derek Hill laid out horizontal on a line drive hit in the gap and grabbed the ball off the grass tops.


The only other no-hitter thrown by a Herd pitcher was in 2005 when Eric Otterson defeated Yuba City in the Division I playoffs. Last season when a part of the junior varsity squad, Smith's pitching coach was Otterson. 


Elk Grove's only run came in the first inning when Nick Madrigal drew a walk to lead off the game, went all the way to third when the Napa catcher couldn't find the ball along the backstop after a wild pitch and then scored on Dom Nunez' ground ball out.


The Herd now plays Delta Valley Conference rival Franklin on Saturday at 3 p.m. In the other  game in the double-elimination tournament Vacaville will take on Davis, a 5-2 winner Thursday over Oak Ridge.


Listen to the post-game interviews with Carlson and Smith :