Texas outfielder Eric Kennedy celebrates after scoring on a two-run...

Texas outfielder Eric Kennedy celebrates after scoring on a two-run home run against Stanford in the fifth inning of an NCAA college baseball tournament super regional game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, June 10, 2023. Credit: AP/Josie Lepe

STANFORD, Calif. — Porter Brown hit a two-RBI single that gave Texas its first lead of the game and capped a five-run top of the ninth inning as the Longhorns beat Stanford 7-5 Saturday in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Stanford Super Regional.

Texas (42-20) can clinch a berth in the College World Series with a win over the Cardinal in Game 2 on Sunday.

Eric Kennedy walked to lead off the ninth, Jalin Flores was hit by a pitch and O'Dowd followed with a walk for the Longhorns to load the bases. Kennedy and Flores scored when Moore reached safely and advanced to second on a fielding error before Jared Thomas hit an RBI groundout that made it 5-5. Peyton Powell drew a four-pitch walk, Dylan Campbell was intentionally walked to load the bases and, after Garret Guillemette struck out swinging, Thomas' single capped the scoring.

Ace Whitehead (4-0) gave up two walks in a scoreless eighth inning to earn the win. Zane Morehouse struck out the side — all swinging on a combined 15 pitches — to get his seventh save of the season.

Drew Bowser hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth and Malcolm Moore added a two-run home run in the seventh to give Stanford (42-18) a 5-2 lead.

Alberto Rios and Moore drew back-to-back two-out walks, the former loading the bases and the latter driving in Tommy Troy — who walked earlier in the inning — to give Stanford a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Braden Montgomery doubled and then scored on a double by Moore to make it 2-0 in the third.

Brown singled to lead off the fifth inning and, two pitches later, Eric Kennedy hit a homer to right for Texas that tied it at 2-2.

Stanford's Malcolm Moore, right, hits a home run against Texas...

Stanford's Malcolm Moore, right, hits a home run against Texas in the seventh inning of an NCAA college baseball tournament super regional game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, June 10, 2023. Credit: AP/Josie Lepe

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