Stanford Wins NCAA Tennis Title

The ninth-seeded UCLA women’s tennis team came within one match of winning its first NCAA Division I title Sunday, losing to second-seeded Stanford, 4-1, at the University of Georgia’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens.

Earning its third championship under fourth-year Coach Lele Forood, top-ranked Stanford (29-0) went unbeaten for the second time since 2001.

After the Cardinal won the doubles point, 10th-ranked Alice Barnes defeated 18th-ranked Jackie Carleton, 6-2, 6-1, and 40th-ranked Theresa Logar beat Lauren Fisher, 6-4, 6-3.

UCLA’s Sarah Gregg beat Lauren Barnikow, 6-3, 6-3, cutting the lead to 3-1. But 23rd-ranked Erin Burdette clinched the title by defeating Feriel Esseghir, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

UCLA (21-8), which has never won an NCAA title in women’s tennis, had advanced to the final on three previous occasions -- 1982, 1989 and 1991.

The Bruins won the national championship in 1981, but that was one year before the NCAA became the governing body of women’s tennis.

“They have a lot of experienced players who’ve been here before, but I don’t think my team was in awe or just satisfied with being here,” Bruin Coach Stella Sampras Webster said.

“They really thought they could beat Stanford. That’s why I’m really proud of my team. They weren’t intimidated.”

The fourth-seeded UCLA men’s team advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I tournament for the third year in a row by beating Clemson, 4-0, at Tulsa, Okla.

The Bruins (22-5) will play top-seeded Illinois (32-0) in today’s second semifinal match.

Second-seeded USC (23-3) plays third-seeded Baylor (31-2) in the other half of the draw. The Trojans defeated the Bears, 4-3, in Waco, Texas, in a regular-season match Feb. 28.

USC advanced with a 4-0 victory over Stanford (19-8). It was the final match for Dick Gould, who is retiring after 38 years as Cardinal coach.

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Third-seeded George Fox, Ore., defeated Trinity, Texas, 6-2, at Hart Park in Orange to win the NCAA Division III West Region baseball title.

The Bruins (35-9, 4-0 in the tournament) advanced to the eight-team, NCAA Division III tournament starting Friday in Appleton, Wis.

The top-seeded Tigers, who went 2-2 in the regional, finished with a 37-10 record.

Jason Armstrong, Trinity’s senior shortstop, concluded his collegiate career by hitting safely in his 42nd consecutive game.

Kurt Suzuki hit two home runs and drove in six runs for 22nd-ranked Cal State Fullerton, which built a nine-run lead before holding on for a 13-11 victory and a three-game sweep of eighth-ranked Long Beach State in front of 2,168 at Blair Field. The last time the 49ers were swept by the Titans at home was in 1998.

Suzuki, one of the nation’s top hitters, went four for five to raise his average to .438 and his six RBIs give him 74 for the Big West Conference-champion Titans (36-20, 19-2).

Sean Boatright hit a grand slam and John Bowker had a three-run homer for Long Beach (36-16, 14-7).

Ryan McCarthy’s eighth-inning home run, his second of the game, broke a tie and gave UCLA a 4-3 Pacific 10 Conference victory over 14th-ranked Washington at Seattle.

McCarthy homered with two out off reliever Trent Baysinger. Adam Simon pitched three innings of relief to get the win for the Bruins (31-26, 12-9), who improved their chances for a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Top-ranked Stanford (42-11, 14-7) moved back into first place with an 8-2 victory over USC (23-30, 9-12) in front a season-high 3,499 at Stanford.

Stanford is now a game and a half ahead of the Huskies (35-17-1, 15-9), who have completed their Pac-10 season.

Times staff writer Eric Stephens contributed to this report.