Sabino starter Jerry A'Hearn did not allow a run after spotting Ironwood Ridge a 1-0 lead in the first. The Sabercats fought back for a 7-1 victory.

benjie sanders / arizona daily star

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It was a successful day for Sabino's batters in a 7-1 victory over visiting Ironwood Ridge on Thursday — especially for those named Travis.

Sabino's Travis Graham and Travis Jones combined for five RBIs in the win.

Entering the game, Jones had a .550 batting average and Graham was at .319. The duo — nicknamed "T-squared" — showcased their swings behind those numbers in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sabino (19-2, 10-0 4A Sonoran Region) tied the game at 1 when Tanner Nance slapped an RBI single. On the next pitch, Graham ripped a three-run shot over the right field fence.

"I was just looking for a strike to drive," Graham said. "I never think about hitting home runs or anything."

One out later, Jones hit a solo shot of his own to left. The blast, Jones' seventh of the season, capped a six-hit, five-run inning.

And it was just the inspiration the Sabino offense needed.

"I think it gave us a lift. You can talk about getting inspired, but unless somebody steps up to the plate and takes the bull by the horns, everybody is waiting for somebody else," Sabino coach Rod Allen said.

With the lead secured, the defense, led by pitcher Jerry A'Hearn, prevented the Nighthawks from scoring again.

A'Hearn pitched four shutout innings and allowed only two hits after a rocky beginning. He finished with six strikeouts in five innings.

"He's a workhorse," Allen said of A'Hearn. "He's a hard thrower, and the team's got all the confidence in the world when he's on the mound."

Ironwood Ridge (15-12-1, 6-4) jumped ahead early with three hits in the first inning, including an RBI double from Andrew Wood.

"Against these guys, you hope that you can kind of shock them a little bit, and that's what I was hoping," Ironwood Ridge coach Nick Allen said. "If we could have gotten a little more out of that first inning, it might have helped us a little bit."

Sabino extended its winning streak to 17 games as it heads into the regional tournament on Saturday.

But for Sabino's coach, the celebration can wait.

"We go one game at a time. We never look ahead," Rod Allen said. "For us, the season is a process. This game's not the event. … It's part of the process."

Jones added to the Sabino lead in the sixth with an RBI single. Jake Hanson sealed the win with an RBI double two outs later.