Cesarini Crushes Curve With Three Homers in 16-1 Akron Win

RubberDucks Game Recap | Box Score

Akron RubberDucks (17-23, 52-56) 16, Altoona Curve (17-23, 48-61) 1

WP: Rafe Schlesinger (3-4) LP: Peyton Stumbo (2-10) Save: N/A

Summary

Ryan Cesarini’s career-high three home runs highlighted the Akron RubberDucks 16-1 win over the Altoona Curve on Tuesday night at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Turning Point

Akron’s offense got to Curve starter Peyton Stumbo in the fifth. Maick Collado led off the inning with a double before Cesarini launched a two-run home run to give Akron the lead. After a single by Jaison Chourio and walk by Jack LaViolette, Nolan Schubart lined a single into center to score Chourio. Two batters later, Aaron Walton brought home LaViolette with a sac-fly. Dean Curley followed with a single into left to score Schubart and make it 5-0 Akron.

Mound Presence

Rafe Schlesinger kept the Curve batters off balance all night. The left-hander allowed just one hit and two walks over five scoreless innings while striking out three in his start on Tuesday. Zach Jacobs allowed a run over two innings. Cam Walty struck out two over two scoreless innings.

Duck Tales

The RubberDucks kept the big innings going over the seventh and eighth innings. Akron scored 10 runs over two innings highlighted by a sixth inning RBI single by Curley, sixth inning three-run home run by Cesarini and eighth inning grand slam by Walton to make it 15-1 Akron. In the ninth, Cesarini hit a solo home run to cap Akron’s huge offensive night.

Notebook

Cesarini’s three homer night marked his first professional multi-home run game and the first three home run game by an Akron batter since Bobby Bradley on June 27, 2017 vs Erie…Walton’s grand slam was his second home run in as many games for the RubberDucks and was Akron’s seventh grand slam on the season, which ties Somerset for most in the Eastern League…Akron has outscored opponents 63-15 in series openers since the All-Star break (4-1 in those games)…Schlesinger has won three of his last five starts…Game Time: 2:43…Attendance: 5,079.

On the Pond

The RubberDucks will continue their series at Peoples Natural Gas Field against the Altoona Curve on Wednesday, August 12 at 6:00 p.m. Akron right-hander Ryan Degges (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will face Altoona right-hander Matt Ager (6-2, 4.71 ERA). The game broadcast is on 640 WHLO, the 640 WHLO iHeartRadio channel, and akronrubberducks.com, and available on Bally Live. Tickets for RubberDucks home games are available at akronrubberducks.com/tickets.