ROUND ROCK, Texas (Interstat) — Kyle Higashioka homered and drove in three runs, Cam Cauley added a home run, and the Round Rock Express defeated the Tacoma Rainiers 9-3 on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, at Dell Diamond in Class AAA Pacific Coast League play. The game took 3 hours, 6 minutes and drew 4,651.

Tacoma opened the game with a pair of flyouts and a called strikeout in the first. Round Rock put two runners on in its first but could not score when Aaron Zavala popped out to second baseman Ryan Bliss. The Rainiers broke through in the second on Connor Joe’s solo homer, but Round Rock answered in the third when Cauley homered.

Round Rock broke open a close game with a three-run sixth inning and never let Tacoma close the gap. Higashioka finished 3 for 5 with a homer and three RBIs. Cauley went 2 for 5 with a homer and an RBI. Frainyer Chavez added two hits and an RBI. John Taylor drove in a run and scored another. Cooper Johnson and Aaron Zavala also contributed extra-base hits as the Express collected 12 hits. The Express scored in five different innings, including three multi-run frames.

Tacoma managed five hits. Connor Joe homered, and Patrick Wisdom also homered. Nolan Jones added a late sacrifice fly. Andy Ibáñez doubled and singled, while Nolan Jones also singled. The Rainiers drew walks but could not string together hits against Round Rock’s bullpen. Tacoma loaded the bases in the fourth after Wisdom’s homer but left them full when Willie MacIver struck out swinging. The Rainiers also put two runners on in the sixth but could not score. Tacoma’s five hits included two homers, a double and two singles.

Dalton Pence started for Round Rock and allowed two earned runs on two hits over four innings while striking out five. Joe Ross relieved and earned the win, allowing one hit over 1 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Josh Sborz struck out two in a perfect inning, and John King worked 1 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. Jhonathan Díaz took the loss for Tacoma after allowing three earned runs on four hits over five innings with one strikeout. Robinson Ortiz allowed one earned run in 1 1/3 innings for the Rainiers.

The Express took control in the middle innings. Higashioka’s two-run homer in the fifth gave Round Rock the lead. In the sixth, a fielding error by shortstop Leo Rivas helped open the door. Logan O’Hoppe reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Keyber Rodriguez, Cooper Johnson singled home Chavez, and Taylor singled home O’Hoppe. Chavez doubled home Jonah Bride in the seventh, and Round Rock added two more in the eighth on Taylor’s sacrifice fly and Higashioka’s RBI single.

Tacoma’s offense came on solo homers from Joe and Wisdom, plus the late sacrifice fly by Jones that scored Ibáñez. Round Rock pitchers combined for 11 strikes, 74 balls and 11 balls in play, while Tacoma pitchers had 17 strikes, 62 balls and 17 balls in play.

Round Rock improved to 70-74, while Tacoma dropped to 70-76. The teams continue their series Friday at Dell Diamond. Tacoma had won the previous meeting 6-5 on Wednesday, while Round Rock took a 9-2 decision Tuesday. Higashioka went 0 for 5 on Sept. 15, then homered and drove in a run in Tacoma’s 6-5 win on Sept. 16 before his three-RBI performance Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Round Rock Express 6, Tacoma Rainiers 5.