Unicorns Take Control Late to Defeat Hoppers 5–2
August 10th, 2025
UTICA, Mich. – The Utica Unicorns (17-17) broke open a scoreless tie in the sixth inning and held on for a 5–2 victory over the Eastside Diamond Hoppers (22-14) on Sunday afternoon at Jimmy John’s Field.
Both starting pitchers were sharp early. Hoppers’ right-hander Pierce Banks tossed five shutout innings, allowing just four hits while striking out five. On the other side, Unicorns’ starter Adam Berghorst worked four scoreless frames, striking out six without issuing a walk.
The Unicorns finally broke through in the sixth when Austin Ochoa launched a two-run home run over the left-field wall, scoring Ethan Krizen, who had been hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. In the seventh, Utica capitalized on a series of miscues and a key error in center field to plate three unearned runs, extending their lead to 5–0.
The Hoppers got on the board in the seventh when Silas Butler drove in David Kedrow with a groundout. They added another in the ninth on Butler’s RBI single, but Bruce Yamamoto shut the door, recording the final six outs to seal the win.
Notable Performers:
- Silas Butler (EDH): 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B
- Austin Ochoa (UU): 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB
- Ryan Enos (UU): 2-for-5, run scored
- Pierce Banks (EDH): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K
- David Kedrow (EDH): 3-for-4, 1 R