Samford beats Panthers

ATLANTA - Richard Bishop drove in three runs with a ninth-inning double to lift Samford to a 5-to-3 victory over Georgia State Tuesday in the Panthers&#39; home opener.<br> <br> The Panthers (1-1) were one strike away from victory when Bishop poked a bases-loaded hit down the line in right field.<br> <br> Georgia State entered the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead, but Samford (1-0) led off with two infield hits. A walk and two outs later, Romas Hicks got ahead Oh-2 on Bishop before the game-winning double.<br> <br> Georgia State&#39;s Brett Strickland threw five strong innings, allowing just one run and four hits. The Panthers scored on Ryan Sterling&#39;s R-B-I single and a double by Justin Newman in the first. In the fourth, Rusty Bennett hit a solo homer for a 3-nothing lead.<br> <br> The Bulldogs chipped away with runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, setting up the ninth inning rally.