Another Title for Leach, USC

Dick Leach didn’t think he would last long enough to win another national championship. On Tuesday, his USC Trojans gave him the ultimate going-away gift.

Led by another outstanding performance by freshman Prakash Amritraj, USC won its 16th NCAA team title and first since 1994 with a 4-1 upset of top-ranked and defending champion Georgia at the Texas A&M; Tennis Center in College Station.

Leach announced his retirement April 23 after 23 seasons as coach. It became a motivating force for the Trojans, who defeated top-five teams Baylor, Illinois and Tennessee to get to Tuesday’s final.

“Is this a dream or what?” Leach said. “I didn’t think we’d even have a chance. I was just happy to win one match.”

Amritraj, the son of former tennis pro Vijay Amritraj, clinched the Trojans’ victory for the third consecutive day. At the No. 3 singles position, he took the first set from Georgia’s Bo Hodge and rallied from a 5-3 deficit to win his match, 7-6 (3), 7-5.

“The biggest key from the start of the match was that I took it one point at a time,” Amritraj said. “My serve and volley game has really been good, especially with these slow courts.”

Amritraj clinched the Trojans’ victories over Illinois and Tennessee with three-set victories over higher-ranked opponents.

The Trojans (25-5), seeded 11th in the 64-team tournament, also got singles victories from Daniel Langre and Ruben Torres at the Nos. 5-6 spots. Ryan Moore was leading his match at No. 2 when Amritraj clinched.

But it was surprising play in doubles that gave USC the initial lead. The Trojans lost the doubles point in their last two matches but won it against Georgia, getting victories from the pairings of Amritraj and Langre and Teige Sullivan and Torres.

Georgia (28-4) had won all 26 of its matches in which it won the doubles point.

“I could see the six guys on the other side,” Amritraj said. “Their shoulders slumped about four inches.”

*

Chad Cordero struck out the side in the ninth inning as No. 17 Cal State Fullerton defeated UCLA, 7-6, in a makeup of an April 23 game that the Bruins had successfully protested.

Fullerton had won the original game, 9-7, but UCLA protested the Titans had batted out of order in the ninth inning.