After losing the first three games of the series against seventh-ranked UC San Diego, it appeared to be just another tough weekend in a long and disappointing season for the SF State baseball team. But in the final game of the series on Sunday, the Gators finally had a reason to celebrate.

In a back and forth contest, SF State snapped a 17-game losing streak overall and a 22-game conference skid with an 11-8 win against the Tritons at the Swamp.

“This is the best feeling I’ve had in three years at San Francisco State,” said Matt Kavanaugh, the Gators’ catcher.

Not only did SF State (8-41-1, 2-30 California Collegiate Athletic Association) get the win, but Kavanaugh hit a double to tie the single-season record for doubles at SF State with 21. The record was originally set in 1986 by Pete Dearborn.

Kavanaugh is third all-time in home runs for SF State with 20 and the all-time RBI leader with 125.

Despite tying a notable SF State record, individual success isn’t what matters to the Gator senior.

“I’d tell you all the doubles don’t really mean anything besides today, that’s the only one that’s really mattered to me because it helped contribute to the win,” Kavanaugh said. “And that’s the most important thing right now.”

After Bobby Carini led off the Gators’ half of the first inning with a double, Kavanaugh doubled in Carini two batters later to give SF State an early 1-0 lead. Kavanaugh finished the game 1-for-4 with a walk.

Although Kavanaugh had a milestone hit, it was the Gators’ designated hitter Evan Romanchuk who had the biggest impact on the game.

After UC San Diego scored a run to tie the game in the top of the second, SF State struck back in the bottom half of the inning.

Conor Buestad and Ernie Munoz got singles and Nick Nyman was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Carini forced in a run with a walk and Romanchuk stepped up to the plate.

After striking out in his first at-bat, the left-handed hitter Romanchuk took the first pitch he saw from Tritons pitcher Trevor Decker over the left field wall for a grand slam to give SF State a 6-1 lead.

The Tritons (39-12, 23-9 CCAA) tried to throw to Romanchuk on the outside corner, but he wasn’t surprised with the pitch he saw from Decker, Romanchuk said.

“I’ve seen that pitch seven or eight times this weekend, so I knew it was coming,” Romanchuk said. “I had a good idea.”

UC San Diego showed why it is No. 7 in the nation by scoring two runs in the third, one in the fourth and three more in fifth to take a 7-6 lead. Garrett Imeson’s two-run double gave the Tritons their first lead and knocked Gators starting pitcher Spencer Kreisberg out of the game with two outs in the inning. Kreisberg gave up six earned runs on eight hits in four and two-third innings. Danny Graybill relieved Kreisberg to get the final out of the inning.

But the Gators weren’t done.

Jeff McCall and Matt Edgecombe started off the Gators’ half of the fifth with hits as SF State retook the lead on a two-run double by Buestad. Matt Memeo had an RBI-single and two batters later, Nick Nyman hit a blooper into right field for a single. With runners on first and third and one out, Carini struck out to set up more heroics from Romanchuk.

Facing Tritons reliever Tim Shibuya, Romanchuk capped the Gators’ scoring with a two-run double to score Memeo and Nyman, extending SF State’s lead to 11-7 as the Gators would hold on to win. Romanchuk finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs in the game.

“It’s been a while since our last victory,” Romanchuk said of the win. “I think it kind of picked up everybody and know that we can win some games.”

“Definitely beating the No. 7 team in the nation shows that we can play with anybody,” he added.

Graybill allowed one run on four hits in three innings with two strikeouts to earn the win. Munoz closed out the game in the ninth inning and struck out two to earn his second save of the season.

“We didn’t give in,” SF State head coach Tony Dress said. “And that was the biggest thing, we didn’t hang our heads.”

In the first three games of the series, the Gators were outscored 30-13 in the three losses. In the second game of a doubleheader on April 26, SF State committed eight errors in a 5-2 loss. The Gators had two more errors than the Tritons had hits, 6.

The Gators play their final series of the year against Cal State L.A. The first game of the four-game series is on May 2 at 2 p.m. at the Swamp.

“Honestly, get out of the cellar,” Dress said of his team’s goal in the final series. “I hope Monterey doesn’t win a damn game and I hope we win them all.”