STARKVILLE, Miss. – The offense returned to its early season form for the Rebels on Friday as No. 5 Ole Miss (12-4, 1-0 SEC) pounded out 21 hits on the way to a 15-6 win over Mississippi State (7-8, 0-1 SEC) in the first game of a three-game series.

The 21 hits tied the season high for the Rebels set against Indiana State on March 1.

Brett Basham and Logan Power led the Rebels at the plate as both batters recorded four hits on the afternoon. Basham was 4-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Power finished the day 4-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored on a home run. Michael Guerrero also had a big afternoon, going 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBI.

Lance Lynn (4-0) picked up the win as he worked 6.0 scoreless innings, allowing four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Jake Morgan picked up his first save as he worked the final 3.0 innings, allowing

Forrest Moore (1-2) suffered the loss as he allowed eight runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

“It was a great day for us offensively and we had a great approach at the plate,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “We had some good at bats. It wasn’t Lance Lynn’s best day, but when you get a lead like that he can make it look easy.”

Ole Miss got on the board in the first inning when Zach Miller came up with an RBI double to left center that scored Jordan Henry from first. Henry opened the game with a walk.

The Rebels extended the lead in the second inning, starting things off with an RBI double from Brett Basham that scored Kyle Mills from second and moved Sean Stuyverson to third. Mills walked before moving to second on a single through the left side. Henry then singled through the right side to score Stuyverson and move Basham to third, giving the Rebels the 4-0 lead.

The scoring continued in the second as a balk pushed Basham across the plate and moved Henry to second. Henry then stole third before a Miller walk put runners at the corners. Miller moved to second on a wild pitch and then both runners scored on a double to right center from Michael Guerrero that pushed the lead to 7-0. A single through the right side from Logan Power then scored Guerrero from second and forced Mississippi State into a pitching change down 8-0.

Jesse Carver got the Bulldogs out of the inning with a groundout in the first batter faced to end the Rebels scoring.

Mississippi State mounted a rally in the bottom half of the inning as back-to-back errors on ground balls to shortstop put runners at the corners with one out. Lynn struck out the next two batters, however, getting the Rebels out of the jam.

Stuyverson pushed the lead out to 10-0 in the third when he hit a two-run home run to left field that scored Mills who had walked to open the inning.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the fourth before Lynn would again get the Rebels out of the jam with a strike out looking and a fly out to left field.

Ole Miss built on the lead in the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Tim Ferguson singled through the right side to score Basham from third. Basham singled before moving to second on a single from Henry. Henry moved to third on Ferguson’s single as the freshman advanced to second on the throw as Mississippi State went to third trying to get Henry out on the play. Overbeck then singled to right field to score Henry and advance Ferguson to third, putting runners at the corners for Guerrero. Guerrero then notched a sac fly to center field to score Ferguson and move the lead to 13-0 in favor of the Rebels.

Logan Power then homered to left center to score Overbeck from first and extend the lead to 15 runs.

Mississippi State got on the board in the seventh when Mark Goforth singled to left field to score Jeff Flagg from second. Flagg walked to open the inning before moving to second on a groundout from Jett Butler. A second run scored on a double down the left field line from Ryan Powers to score Goforth from first.

The Bulldogs added a third run in the eighth as Jett Butler singled to the right side to score Connor Powers from third the lead to 15-3.

With two outs on the board in the ninth, Connor Powers again came up big for the Bulldogs with a three-run home run to left center that cut the lead to 15-6 in favor of the Rebels. Morgan then got the Rebels the victory, striking out the final batter to end the game.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State will play the second game of the series at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Dudy-Noble Field.