Jason Ciarrachi is on a tear.

The junior second baseman came into Wednesday’s doubleheader against Chicago State with an 11-game hitting streak, and extended it to 13. He blasted a single to right field in the

first inning of Game 1 in NIU’s 13-7 loss, and later hit a home run to left-center in the first inning of Game 2 before the Huskies won 4-3.

Ciarrachi’s hitting streak eclipses Pat Kerrigan’s team-leading 12-game streak from last season.

“He bulked up 15 pounds over the summer,” said NIU coach Dave Schrage. “We thought towards the end of last season he got a little weak. He has really worked on his strength and

conditioning. We don’t have a harder worker than him. He deserves what he is getting.”

Ciarrachi said he knew the home-run ball was going to go yard when the pitch was thrown.

“I just let it go and there it went,” he said. “It was a fastball, low and in. Definitely the type of pitch I want to see.”

The Huskies (8-7) added two more runs in the bottom of the second to take the 3-1 lead in Game 2. John Brock grounded out to second, but scored shortstop Trevor Stocking.

Ciarrachi then hit a double into left field to score Mike Hochhauser.

Chicago State (2-11) scored 2 runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-apiece after Jorge Alvarez hit a two-run single to right field.

Hochhauser scored junior right fielder Noel Danielson after flying out in the bottom of the sixth.

Schrage feared a one-run lead wasn’t going to be enough for the Huskies after the way NIU played in Game 1.

“With the way Chicago State was hitting the ball today, I was really worried,” he said. “I am going to give them a lot of credit. The one thing that has been really consistent has been

our pitching, and they brought them down in the first game.”

In Game 1, the Huskies took an early 7-0 lead after the second inning, but Chicago State scored 13 runs in the next five innings, and at least one in each.

Pitcher Brad Gavelek gave up three runs in the third inning, and Dan Badgley gave up four in the fourth. Badgley only lasted two-thirds of an inning.

Schrage said his team relaxed after the 7-0 lead, and he didn’t know why it happened.

“We have to find out why,” he said. “This is the third time this has happened. We came out with intensity. We had runners on first and third with no outs and we got into a double

play. We had the chance to go for the jugular to win the game and we couldn’t do it. We have to start playing the middle innings like it is 0-0, not 7-0.”