Cinderella or not, one thing is for certain.

This team can hit.

East Stroudsburg, the fourth-place qualifier out of the PSAC East that didn’t qualify for the conference tournament until the final day of the regular season, banged out 17 hits Thursday in a 13-4 win over Slippery Rock at Kelly Automotive Park.

The win left the Warriors (30-17) alone with PSAC East champion Millersville as the only unbeaten teams left in the double-elimination tournament. East Stroudsburg also has scored 31 runs and collected 38 hits through its first two games of the tourney.

“History shows that this is a hard tournament to get into, but once you do, anybody can win it,” East Stroudsburg coach John Kochmansky said. “We knew Slippery Rock was a great hitting team and we were going to have to score a lot of runs to win.”

No problem there.

The Warriors never trailed in the game and plated most of their runners, stranding only five all day. The team’s No. 3 through 5 hitters — Conner Crookham, Dylan Tamecki and Ian Allen — combined to go 10-for-14 with seven RBI and 10 runs scored.

Each homered in the game.

“You have to play to the park you’re in,” SRU coach Jeff Messer said. “That 325-sign in right field is pretty inviting. You have to pitch inside and not let hitters extend.

“But give their guys credit. East Stroudsburg outplayed us in every facet today. Their hitting was better. Their fielding was better. Their pitching was better and their energy was better.”

Tyler Eckman, who made All-PSAC as a relief pitcher and has been the Warriors’ closer all season, pitched all nine innings in only his second start of the season. He threw 125 pitches — 86 for strikes — and walked only one.

“It’s a tremendous bonus getting nine innings out of him,” Kochmansky said. “We never expected that. It gives our pitching a lift for the rest of the tournament.”

Losing pitcher Kyle Schneider worked five innings for The Rock. SRU (30-17) produced 15 hits in its own right, with every player in the lineup hitting safely.

But The Rock left 10 runners on base and grounded into two double plays.

Trailing 7-4 with two runners on and two outs in the sixth, SRU ended the inning with Tyler Walters flying out to the warning track in dead center field.

“That was a 420-foot out,” Messer said. “Their kid was gutsy. When he needed outs, he got them.”

East Stroudsburg entered the game with a team batting average well above .330.

“We played most of the season in cold weather and our guys are enjoying hitting in some warmer temperatures this week,” Kochmansky said. “We knew we’d be facing some good pitching here and our approach at the plate has been good.”

Alex Bell had a double and two singles for SRU and Preston Falascino hit a two-run homer, but could not prevent their team from falling into the loser’s bracket.

The Rock was scheduled to face Mercyhurst this morning in an elimination game. Butler graduate Colin McKee, 5-2 with a 2.43 earned run average, was scheduled to pitch for the Lakers.

“McKee will be fired up, pitching here at home,” Messer said. “We’re going to have to regroup fast. We’re in for a challenge.”

E.Stroudsburg 010 420 033 — 13 17 1

Slippery Rock 000 310 000 — 4 15 2

W: Tyler Eckman 9IP (5K, 1BB). L: Kyle Schneider 5IP (2K, 0BB).

East Stroudsburg (30-17): Jay Young 1B RBI, Conner Crookham HR 1B 3-R, Dylan Tamecki HR 3-1B 2-RBI 4-R, Ian Allen HR 3B 2-1B 4-RBI 3-R, Drew Hercik 1B RBI, Matt Walewski 2B 1B 2-RBI, Christian Rishel 2-2B RBI, Steven Zimmerman 1B RBI

Slippery Rock (30-17): Jason Nogalo 2-1B, Tyler Walters 1B 2B, Adam Urbania 2B 1B, Alex Bell 2-2B 1B RBI, Logan Brown 2B, Preston Falscino HR 2-RBI, Kyle Vozar 1B, Jordan Faretta 2B, Ty Zimmerman 2-1B RBI

Today’s PSAC Tournament Schedule: Mercyhurst (33-7) vs. Slippery Rock (30-17), 9:30 a.m.; California (25-21) vs. Seton Hill (40-10), 12:30 p.m.; Millersville (40-9) vs. Mercyhurst-SRU winner, 3:30 p.m.; East Stroudsburg (30-17) vs. California-Seton Hill winner