OXFORD — Kellum Clark shuffled sideways around first base and watched the baseball fly.

The Mississippi State right fielder danced around the bag as he waited for his towering home run land well beyond the right-field wall. Clark took an extra beat to admire his no-doubt two-run shot before it landed next to the Ole Miss bullpen.

Then he turned toward second base, set to finish his home run trot.

Maybe Mississippi State’s season will turn with him.

The Bulldogs (23-17, 7-10 SEC) rallied from an early hole, falling behind 3-1 before recording an out, to even the weekend series in Oxford with a 10-7 win over the Rebels (22-16, 6-11 SEC) on Friday at Swayze Field.

“I think we just competed at a high level,” Mississippi State coach Chris Lemonis said.

MSU scored nine unanswered runs to turn the tables on Ole Miss, which hit three home runs on Preston Johnson’s first four pitchers and homered again in the second.

Hunter Hines put the Bulldogs on top for good with a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and Clark added his two-run blast for some insurance. MSU scored three more runs in the eighth to gain some separation.

“You’ve got to pick it up,” Hines said of his team’s mentality after a tough first inning. “It’s tough to play behind in this league.”

The Bulldogs put together the rallies they lacked in Thursday night’s 4-2 loss, in which they managed just five hits and never seemed to get traffic on the basepaths.

It was an entirely different story Friday, as Mississippi State rapped 18 hits and roared past the Rebels for a much-needed win.

MSU hit four doubles and three home runs, including a solo shot by Luke Hancock in the first inning.

The Bulldogs capped their offensive outburst in the eighth as Brad Cumbest and Lane Forsythe hit RBI doubles, and Jess Davis plated a run on a groundout.

But Ole Miss mounted a rally against KC Hunt, who faltered for the Bulldogs after four consecutive scoreless outings dating back to April 5.

Hunt allowed three hits after plunking a batter, allowing the Rebels to cut their six-run deficit in half. Kemp Alderman’s two-out, two-run double made it a 10-7 game.

Ole Miss brought the tying run to the plate, but Hunt worked around two baserunners in the ninth, getting Justin Bench to hit into a fielder’s choice at third base for the final out.

Lemonis said Hunt was warmed up when it was 7-4 in the Bulldogs’ favor and decided to use perhaps the Bulldogs’ most reliable reliever even when the margin grew.

“Right now with our situation, it’s probably just better to let him run,” Lemonis said. “We let him run. I’m glad we did, because it got tight.”

MSU had to rally after Ole Miss teed off on Johnson from the jump. Bench hit the first pitch out to left, and Jacob Gonzalez and Tim Elko also homered before Johnson recorded an out.

But the Bulldogs starter settled down after Peyton Chatagnier’s solo shot in the second, completing five innings. Johnson allowed nine hits, walked three batters and struck out eight.

“The game goes to Preston Johnson,” Lemonis said. “A lot of kids just tuck it and run at that point. They come out of the game, and somebody else pitches.”

Mississippi State rallied after its starter’s fifth and final inning, with doubles by Cumbest and Jess Davis producing a run in the sixth. RJ Yeager added a two-out, two-strike single to cut the lead to one.

The Bulldogs started the seventh with four straight hits off Jack Dougherty, alternating singles and home runs. Hines’ homer put MSU ahead for the first time since Hancock went deep off starter Hunter Elliott in the opening frame.

Mississippi State finished off a key victory as it seeks its first road SEC series win of the season. The Bulldogs will send Cade Smith to the mound at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

“Every game for us is big now,” Lemonis said. “We’ve put ourselves in a spot where we need to play good. Tomorrow’s the next game, and we need it.”

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.