The 2006 Suwannee Bulldog baseball team hosted Columbia County in the first game of the pre-season classic Tuesday, Feb. 7. The Dogs won 7-6 but still struggled with the short stop position. The new short stop Sean Ryan made several throwing errors helping Columbia score runs.

The game got off to a great start. Rheed Baldwin hit a two-run homer right over the Bulldog in center field at his first at-bat of the season. Billy Moran put Suwannee up by seven with a grand slam home run in the second inning. The Dogs finished the second up 7-0.

Billy Moran started on the mound for Suwannee and pitched four innings. Baldwin manned first base, Josh Wiggelsworth second, Zack Davis third, Gabe Galloway at right field, Ross Aretino at center field, Matt Yanossy at left field and Taylor Abercrombie at catcher.

Moran struggled in the fourth, loading the bases, but struck out the final batter of the inning to retire Columbia still scoreless. Things started to go south for Suwannee when Daniel Tillman took over the pitching chores in the fifth. This was Tillman‚s first outing as a varsity pitcher. He gave up three runs in the fifth with the help of a throwing error by short stop Ryan.

Suwannee’s bats chilled after the Moran home run. It was three Dogs up three down in the fifth. After another short stop error in the seventh, Tillman loaded the bases. Then Tillman made a throwing error allowing two to score. Catcher Abercrombie made a great play at home plate, tagging the runner from third for two outs while Marc Radford warmed up in the Suwannee bullpen. But Tillman hung on and got that last needed out of the game. Suwannee won 7-6.