OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Kim Bruins hit a two-run home run in a four-run fifth inning to help Texas beat Arizona State 6-3 on Thursday night in both teams' opening game in the Women's College World Series.
"What an exciting matchup," Texas coach Connie Clark said. "I will tell you one thing we talked about before the game started with this group was the first team to relax would have a great opportunity to win it all."
Texas (50-8) advanced to a Friday night game against the winner of the late game between Oklahoma and Michigan. Arizona State (50-11) will play Michigan in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The game was pushed back due to scheduling adjustments following tornadoes in Oklahoma on Friday.
ASU took a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. Elizabeth Caporuscio pulled a two-strike pitch past first baseman Karina Scott for the Sun Devils' first hit of the game, Bailey Wigness followed with a single and Alix Johnson doubled into the gap in left-center.
Texas rallied in the bottom of the inning, with Bruins hitting a home run that fell out of Caporuscio's glove and over the wall in left.
"It was so intense," said Bruins, who also earned the save in relief. "I was just trying to leave it all out on the field for my team."
Texas added two more runs in the sixth.
ASU starter Dallas Escobedo was in control until the fifth inning. She finished the night with five earned runs allowed on six hits with the winds blowing out of Hall of Fame Stadium at more than 25 mph at times.
"Those hits that I did give up I thought were just popups," Escobedo said. "I still stuck with what I was throwing. Sometimes it blows over the fence."
Mackenzie Popescue relieved Escobedo in the bottom of the sixth, making her first appearance in the WCWS.
Haley Steele added a homer for the Sun Devils in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to three runs. It was her 12th homer of the season.
