Kinzie Hansen watched Jala Wright start the first two hitters she faced with strikes and Hansen figured it was time to pounce.

Hansen — OU’s catcher, captain and clutch queen — delivered, blasting a two-run home run in the third inning to lift the led off the Sooners’ offense and help propel the second-seeded Sooners to a 9-1 six-inning run-rule win over Duke in their Women’s College World Series opener on Thursday at Devon Park.

OU (55-6) now gets a day off before facing UCLA in the winner’s bracket Saturday.

Duke opted to roll through their pitching, pulling starter Cassidy Curd after Curd allowed a single to Jayda Coleman to start the third.

It’s an approach that has been widely used against OU’s offense over the last couple seasons.

“We had to be quick with our adjustments,” Hansen said.

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Wright came in and struck out Tiare Jennings and Ella Parker swinging.

Hansen shared a quick word with Parker after the latter’s strikeout, and made the decision to attack quickly.

While Curd was throwing high and hard, living near the top of the strike zone with her rise ball, Wright was working the lower part of the zone, going to a tough-to-hit drop changeup later in counts.

Hansen decided to sit on the first-pitch heater.

“In my mind, I just went up thinking 70 (mph), she’s got to come early for a strike,” Hansen said. “I loaded early and saw the ball kind of middle, just went for it.”

The result was the latest clutch moment for Hansen, who turned on the pitch and deposited it into the left-field seats for a two-run home run that put the Sooners ahead 2-1.

Alynah Torres added another two-run shot two batters later and OU’s offense was rolling.

“I think we were just playing free and knowing that, hey, we just need to pass the bat, hard hits, make the defense work, have a good time while you’re doing it,” Torres said.

Hansen has repeatedly come up with big-time home runs during her career.

In last season’s super regionals, Hansen hit a three-run game-tying home run in the seventh inning against Clemson when the Sooners were down to their last strike in the final game at Marita Hynes Field.

Two years ago against Texas in Game 2 of the WCWS Championship Series, Hansen blasted a three-run home run in the fifth inning just after Alyssa Brito’s double gave the Sooners the lead.

Hansen’s home run Thursday was her sixth career WCWS home run, tying her for third on the NCAA career list with former OU star Lauren Chamberlain.

Only Jocelyn Alo (12) and Tiare Jennings (8) have more.

Here are three more takeaways from the Sooners’ win:

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Defense shines for Sooners

OU’s defense has been a strength all season.

On the biggest stage, the Sooners once again came up big, making several critical plays to keep Duke from stringing hits together.

The biggest play came in the top of the fourth, when the Blue Devils loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit.

Gisele Tapia looped one into short left-center that looked destined to score a pair of runs, but OU center fielder Jayda Coleman raced in and laid out for the diving catch to end the threat.

That was far from the only defensive highlight for the Sooners.

Earlier in the fourth, Alynah Torres made a quick turn on a slow grounder toward second to get the lead runner.

In the next inning, shortstop Tiare Jennings fielded D’Auna Jennings’ weak grounder up the middle, spun and fired to first just in time to retire the Blue Devils’ leadoff hitter.

Avery Hodge and Jennings teamed up in the sixth, with Hodge recovering from a slight bobble to quickly recover and flip to Jennings, who fired to first to finish off the double play and end the inning.

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Alynah Torres, Cydney Sanders break out

While Alynah Torres and Cydney Sanders have had productive stretches this season, both had been scuffling before appearing to begin to breakout of slumps last week against Florida State.

The duo came through in big ways for the Sooners in the opener, with each hitting two-run homers.

“It really doesn’t matter what you’ve done through the season,” Sooners coach Patty Gasso said. “This is where everyone’s going to remember it. Here, they get another redo. I get to start over.”

After Hansen’s homer in the third, Alyssa Brito drew a walk before Torres stretched the Sooners lead with a two-run home run to left.

The home run was Torres’ ninth of the season but her first since April 19 against Houston.

It had been even longer for Sanders.

Sanders blasted a no-doubt homer in the fourth after Rylie Boone led off the inning with a bunt single.

The home run was Sanders’ first since April 16 against Tulsa.

“Every time she takes a swing, everybody is like, ‘Whoa, a swing and a miss,’” Gasso said. “Sometimes she’ll cheat herself. She really was focused. You could feel that. She had good BP, good week of practice.”

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Up next: UCLA

The Sooners now get a day off before taking on UCLA in the winner’s bracket at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The Bruins beat Alabama 4-1 in the day’s first game.

It will be the eighth meeting between OU and UCLA in the WCWS. The Sooners have faced only Alabama more in the event.

The Bruins have won four of the seven WCWS matchups with the Sooners.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball roars past Duke in WCWS opener after Kinzie Hansen's HR