I can't believe there are people in the world who think "you score a (critical) hit" doesn't mean you score a hit. It's mind-boggling.
If it said you "score a resounding hit," would you be making the same argument? That a "resounding hit" is somehow a different rules object than a hit?
"Critical" and "automatic" are adjectives. As such, they only serve to modify the important word, the object of the clause, which is "hit." If the rules say you "score a hit" of any kind -- be it automatic, critical, plaid, or strawberry -- then you have scored a hit. Period.