TUPELO – As Hub City Bombers coach Anthony James posed for pictures with his team Sunday afternoon at Golden Wave Field, he admitted feeling relieved ... and a tad lucky.

The Bombers, who left 10 runners on base and committed what could have been two game-changing errors, escaped town with a 3-2 victory against the host Tupelo 49ers in the American Legion State Tournament Championship Game.

“It got hairy there,” James said moments after his team accepted the championship trophy. “Leaving runners on base has haunted us a little this season.

“Luckily, our pitching and defense kept them at bay.”

But, the Bombers’ usually steady defense produced a few burps in the late innings.

The Hattiesburg-based club took a 3-0 lead into top of the seventh inning, but gave up a run on a throwing error by third baseman Matthew Magee.

In the eighth, a throwing error by relief pitcher Buck Benard helped the 49ers get runners in scoring position at second and third. However, Bernard closed the frame with a ground out and a strikeout.

Blake Herrin started on the mound for Hub City and gave the Bombers six solid innings, scattering three hits and striking out four.

“Give their pitchers credit,” Tupelo coach Kirk Presley said. “They threw well and made big pitches in big situations. They threw big pitches to our big hitters.

“We had opportunities to score and didn’t. Good pitchers make good pitches when they have to and they did that throughout the tournament.”

Tupelo’s lineup produced just five hits and three of those were from shortstop Ben Kingsley. One of Kingsley’s singles produced a run in the ninth inning.

Hub City took a 1-0 lead in the first on a bases-loaded walk, then added its final two runs in the fifth on a double by Chance Mathis.

The loss was Tupelo’s second to Hub City in the tournament. The Bombers, who went 3-0, defeated the defending champs, 5-3, in Friday’s opening round.

The Bombers advance to regional play scheduled to begin Aug. 6 in Enid, Okla.

“Our effort was there,” Presley said of his squad. “That’s all you can ask from them.”