Ladwig's walk-off hit lifts DeForest past Tomah

Mason Ladwig drove in the winning run with a two-out, seventh-inning single as DeForest beat Tomah 3–2 in a baseball regional semifinal.

For DeForest baseball team, they did just that, delivering late-game magic to keep its season alive.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, Norski senior Mason Ladwig needed just one swing of the bat to line a single up the middle, giving the sixth-seeded Norskies the 3-2 win over the visiting 11th-seeded Tomah Timberwolves on Tuesday, June 2.

First-year coach Adams Billings felt it was only due time before Ladwig delivered the “big hit.”

“He’s been putting the ball in play and hitting it hard as of late,” coach Billings said. “He was definitely due for a big hit this year, and didn’t waste any time.”

How DeForest won

Tied at two apiece going into the top of the seventh, DeForest started the inning off with a leadoff triple from junior Tru Killerlain. It was Killerlain’s second triple of the evening.

Left with no choice, Tomah intentionally walked the next two batters to put a force out on all four bases. Tomah got back-to-back ground-outs before Ladwig delivered the final blow.

It was DeForest’s first run since the top of the first, where they took an early 2-0 lead over the Timberwolves.

DeForest scored first when junior Nolan Pennekamp hit a sacrifice fly into left field, bringing home Killerlain, who reached third base on a triple.

Two batters later, DeForest doubled their lead when junior Carter Goldschmidt smacked a one-run double into right field, giving DeForest the 2-0 lead.

Coach Billings knew just how important it was for his team to get out to an early lead on Tuesday — especially against including Tomah’s pitcher, Breckin Sheldon, who was recently named the Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) Pitcher of the Year.

“It was a huge confidence boost for our entire team,” he said. “It really allowed our pitcher, Cooper Goldschmidt, to go out and not have to have too many stressful pitches and just go throw strikes and let the defense play behind them.”

Cooper Goldschmidt, a junior, didn’t allow a single hit through four innings pitched.

DeForest’s Cooper Goldschmidt pitched four hitless innings during DeForest's 3-2 win over Tomah in the WIAA regional semifinals on Tuesday, June 2.

Additional details

In fact, he wasn’t even scheduled to start on Tuesday. He learned he was taking the start just 10 minutes before game time when the team started to warm up.

“We had something come up, and we went up and asked him, like, ‘Hey, are you good to go today?’ And he said, ‘Yeah,’ and just really dominated on the mound,” Billings said.

After Cooper Goldschmidt’s superb start, DeForest turned to Nolan Pennekamp to come in for relief.

“We had all the faith in Nolan Pennekamp to come in and shut it down,” Coach Billing said.

Coming in for relief, Nolan Pennekamp pitched three innings, allowing just two hits (zero earned runs) during DeForest’s 3-2 win over Tomah in the WIAA regional semifinals on Tuesday, June 2.

Pennekamp closed the door throughout the final three innings, allowing just two hits. Both Goldschmidt and Pennekamp allowed a run in the top of the fifth when Tomah tied the game, but none of those runs were earned.

In victory, DeForest will compete for a regional title on Thursday, June 4, visiting third-seeded Sun Prairie East at 5 p.m. The winner advances to sectionals on Tuesday, June 9, at La Crosse Central.