TUPELO – The second game of the 2009 American Legion Baseball State Tournament featured another strong pitching performance, this time from both teams’ starters.

Although not a perfect outing, Matthew Magee followed up Pontotoc starter Dylan Earnest’s perfect game in Game 1 with a strong effort, as his Hub City Bombers beat the defending state champion Tupelo 49ers 5-3 at Tupelo’s Golden Wave Field on Friday night.

Magee held the 49ers to just three runs in 71⁄3 innings of work to help his team advance to today’s 4:30 p.m. winner’s bracket final against Pontotoc.

“I thought their pitcher threw extremely well,” said 49ers coach Kirk Presley. “He made some very good pitches against us.

“We’ll be back and ready for tomorrow’s game.”

That game will be the 1 p.m. loser’s bracket game against Booneville.

Tupelo started the first inning with three straight hits off Magee, including a two-run single by Lex Rutledge to plate Channing Walker and Ben Kingsley, who singled and doubled to right, respectively.

However, the Bombers of Hattiesburg got single runs in the second and fifth innings before knocking Tupelo starter Joseph Koon from the game in the seventh inning.

Justin Lee doubled to lead off and scored on a wild pitch. Bobo Morgan then added a solo home run to left to make it 4-2.

Koon pitched 62⁄3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and suffering his first loss of the season. The Itawamba Community College pitcher struck out nine, walked none, but hit two batters.

He received stellar defense from center fielder Channing Walker, who made a nice running, over-the-shoulder catch in deep center, as well as a sliding catch on a sinking line drive.