CHRIS CARPENTER salutes the crowd as his Hinds teammates pile on Daniel Tackett after his game-winning homer. Ex-St. Aloysius star Ryan Hearn, left, and ex-Vicksburg High star Mitchell Beauman join the celebration.(The Vicksburg Post/MARK THORNTON)

[05/03/02]RAYMOND Daniel Tackett’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning helped Hinds Community College walk right into the Region 23 tournament.

After playing dead even with archrival Co-Lin all season, the Eagles (28-18, 15-10 South) broke the tie with two outs in the 11th on Tackett’s three-run shot to win the Region 23 play-in game, 5-2.

It was Tackett’s first home run of the season.

“I felt confident when I went up there,” said Tackett, a sophomore from Hillcrest Christian who signed with Mississippi State out of high school.

“I had a chance (in the ninth) and didn’t get it done,” he said, referring to his flyout to center with runners on first and second. “I knew I had to to do something.”

Hinds advances to the Region 23 Tournament for the ninth straight season while ending Co-Lin’s streak at eight. The Eagles play No. 2 Northwest May 10 at Pearl River, which is also in the tournament along with Holmes. The winner advances to the Division II Junior College World Series in Millington, Tenn

“We’re not really a power team … that was a little magic out there tonight,” HCC coach Rick Clarke said. “It was a classic matchup.”

In the regular season, the home team swept each series and both team wound up 14-10 in the South to force the play-in game.

The Wolves (27-19, 14-11) won three of the last four Region 23 tournaments, including last year’s after beating Hinds in a play-in game.

“The book on us is getting pretty thick,” Co-Lin coach Keith Case said. “It’s very emotional.

“Last year, the reverse happened, and we got hot and won the region.”

That’s what Tackett is hoping Hinds can do, just like in 1999.

“We’ve got a good chance,” said Tackett, who had three of Hinds’ six hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning. “This team never gives up.”

Both starters and both relievers dueled to the end and both benefited from nearly flawless defense.

Hinds’ Chris Reed got the win in relief of Chris Stephens. They combined on a seven-hitter.

Reed, a sophomore from Hillcrest, got out of a jam in the 10th. Co-Lin had runners on second and third with no outs but couldn’t score.

Cole Zumbro escaped a similar situation in the bottom of the inning, when Hinds had two on with one out. He and Kendall Poole combined on a six-hitter.

Hinds’ No. 9 batter Chris Carpenter a 5-foot-6, 145-pound second baseman hit a solo homer to left in the fifth to tie it, 1-1. After Tackett’s go-ahead single, Co-Lin’s Brandon Holleman answered on the first pitch of the eighth to make it 2-2. Kyle Beall had two doubles for Co-Lin and Matt Lea was 2-for-5.

Co-Lin took a 1-0 lead in the first after the Eagles’ only error of the game.

With two outs in the 11th, Hinds catcher Josh Sherman reached base on Co-Lin’s only error. Carpenter then drew a walk to set the stage for Tackett’s heroics.

“That was a fun way to end it in front of such a good crowd,” Clarke said. “He’ll replay that for the rest of his life.”