OXFORD | Mason Nichols didn't feel well in his pregame bullpen.

The shoulder was stiff. He's battled a lingering sinus infection, and the command wasn't ideal. It looked like a difficult assignment in a game that was nearly a requirement. He even got a shot on Saturday to relieve the siinus symptoms.

The bullpen wasn't in any way a premonition.

Nichols dominated Mississippi State for 6.2 innings and allowed just two runs — one earned — in Ole Miss’14-2 run-rule dismantling of the Bulldogs to win the series. It ended in seven innings on Will Furniss’ walk-off home run.

"It's tough and his stuff was down a tick, but man, just a gutsy performance,” Bianco said. "He said to me before the game 'I don't how long I can go, but I can give you all I can.’ Just proud of him. A Mississippi kid, a kid from Jackson Prep who grew up watching this series his whole life to perform like this on this day was certainly needed.”

Nichols retired 11 straight from the third until the seventh.

The Rebels beat MSU, 10-9, on Saturday, coming back from four runs down in the eighth and then scoring two in the 12th.

It’s Ole Miss’ first series win over Mississippi State since 2015 and ends the Rebels’ nine game losing streak. Ole Miss, which has an RPI in the high 20s, is 20-16 overall and 5-10 at the SEC halfway point.

Nichols allowed four hits and struck out four without a walk in his second career start. He threw an efficient, controlled 83 pitches with 61 strikes.

The junior has given up only two earned runs in 10 innings as a starter in SEC play.

State was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

Ole Miss had 16 hits and hit .471 as a team for the game, blistering MSU pitching with six hits in runners in scoring position and nine with men on base iin fewer than seven full innings.

“They just really played well and locked in,” Bianco said. “The energy and good swings and up and down the lineup. We just put a great day together.”

Ethan Lege hit two home runs, and Furniss had three hits and four RBIs. All starters outside of Jackson Ross had a hit. Andrew Fischer had three hits and scored four runs.

State had only four hits.

Gunnar Dennis got the final two outs to strand two runners Nichols left when he exited to a standing ovation.