OXFORD, Miss. – No. 17 Ole Miss used the home run ball to rally past Jacksonville State, 7-4, on Friday evening in the series opener at Swayze Field.

The Rebels scored six-of-the-seven runs off of four home runs to erase a Gamecock lead through 5.2 innings after a four-run frame in the sixth inning. In a spirited sixth inning, Ole Miss equalized with back-to-back home runs by Austin Fawley and Will Furniss. The Rebels took the lead on a two-run blast by Hayden Federico.

That two-run cushion would be enough for the series-opening win after Ole Miss bullpen allowed one Jax State hit over the final five innings. After the Gamecocks chased UM starter Hunter Elliott, who had not given up a run in his first three starts, in the fourth inning. UM's Mason Morris and Connor Spencer allowed one Jax State hit and combined to strikeout eight.

Jax State started fast against Elliott with four runs in the first four innings. Junior Caleb Johnson put the Gamecocks on the scoreboard with an RBI single, scoring junior Colton Hegwood. Hegwood extended his hitting streak to 13 games with his first inning double. The Brandon, Mississippi native turned in his eighth multi-hit game of the season in his return to his home state. Johnson recorded two hits in the setback.

Junior Ace Williamson drilled his team-best fourth home run of the season in the second inning. The Rebels connected on their first home run of the night with a two-run blast by Isaac Humphrey in the second inning.

The Gamecocks answered with a two-run third inning with an RBI walk from Grayson Ashe and a hit-by-pitch RBI from Sam Silas.

Jax State switched the rotation around prior to the start of the weekend and started junior Steven Cash in the opener. Cash was effective throughout the career-long outing for the transfer from Louisiana, He went 5.2 innings, scattered seven Rebel hits and collected seven strikeouts in a no decision.

Junior Carson Hornung had the final hit of the night for Jax State with a one-out double in the seventh inning.

Along with Hegwood extending his hitting streak, redshirt freshman Cooper Blauser and senior Drew Collins pushed a pair of on-base streaks to 13 games.

Saturday's first pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network+, the online platform of the SEC Network.