HOUSTON -- Coach Rayner Noble made the right choice twice for the Houston Cougars.

Cole Bruce hit a three-run homer in the four-run sixth inning and Danny Zell pitched seven strong innings as Houston upset Rice 5-2 Saturday in the first game of their Super Regional playoff series.

Noble started Zell instead of ace Brad Sullivan -- who will pitch Game 2 -- and he took off a bunt sign on Bruce before he smacked his home run that put the Cougars in control.

"I took off the bunt, and he made me look like a genius hitting the ball over the fence,'' Noble said. "The key was our starting pitching. Danny set the tone. He threw a lot of strikes. He had three walks, but his walks didn't hurt him.''

The second game of the best-of-three series will be played Sunday at Rice's Reckling Field and the third game, if necessary, would be on Monday.

Rice (51-11) is trying to reach the College World Series for the fourth time in seven years, but the Owls couldn't get their bats going against the Cougars. Houston lost to the Owls four straight times in the regular season.

"Obviously, we didn't play good today,'' Rice coach Wayne Graham said. "We didn't hit well or handle ordinary situations well. These things happen. We'll be back. I think we still have a chance to win. We just have to do better tomorrow.''

Zell (9-5) said the Cougars aren't used to having such a large lead.

"Cole hit that home run and really gave us some room,'' he said.

Zell held Rice scoreless for five innings, including a stretch where he retired 10 in a row. Zell allowed seven hits, three walks and he had three strikeouts.

Ryan Wagner finished up for Zell, striking out four in two innings.

Houston (37-28) has been in a super regional three of last four years and is trying for its first CWS since 1967. Their victory snapped an eight-game losing streak to Rice at Reckling Field.

The Cougars opened a 5-0 lead in the sixth inning with four runs that started with a bunting performance off starter Philip Humber (10-3).

Michael Bourn bunted for a hit to start the sixth inning and Travis Tully reached base on a sacrifice bunt and was safe when second baseman Enrique Cruz dropped the ball on the play at first base, allowing Bourn to reach third.

Hyung Cho's line single to center field scored Bourn for a 2-0 lead.

Bruce then hit Humber's first pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer and a 5-0 lead. It was Bruce's eighth homer of the season.

"My eyes kind of lit up when he gave me the 'hit away,' and I did what I could,'' Bruce said. "He laid it up there for me. It was fat. I'm sure he was thinking I was still going to bunt and he put a fast ball right in there.''

Zell lost the shutout in the sixth on an RBI single by Cruz and a bases loaded grounder by Austin Davis that allowed another run.

Humber left after yielding a leadoff single in the eighth inning. He allowed eight hits, five runs -- four of them earned -- and he had one walk and six strikeouts.

"They were swinging the bat well but with the ball game on the line in the sixth, it looked like we were about to break through and I made the worst pitch I could have made,'' Humber said. "The loss falls directly on my shoulders.''

Houston got runners in scoring position in the first and then pushed across one run in the second when Bruce singled, went to third on a single to left field by Sullivan and scored on Humber's wild pitch.

"Every time you have people on base and don't execute it's tough,'' Cruz said.