TUCSON, Ariz.— After delivering a walk-off RBI single on Saturday evening, Colorado Mesa University freshman and Grand Junction Central High School product Myah Arrieta belted a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting the Maverick softball team to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Eastern New Mexico University on Sunday morning here at Lincoln Park.
 
The homer was the first of the second baseman's collegiate career.
 
The Maverick victory, set up by impressive outing from starting pitcher Shea Mauser and a 1-2-3 top of the seventh from reliever Paige Adair, who earned the win, was the team's fifth in as many efforts over the weekend at the Division II Cactus Classic.
 
Winners of five straight and now 6-4 overall, the battle-tested Mavericks will begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play next week at home riding an emotional high.
 
The Mavericks won three of their five games of the 3-day weekend tournament by just a single run and conceded just nine runs while lowering their team ERA to a RMAC-best 1.85.
 
Mauser matched a career-high with nine strikeouts and allowed just four hits and a single run in her six innings of work, retiring the first 13 Greyhounds she faced before ENMU counterpart Brook Leger broke up her perfect game and no-hitter with a 1-out single in the top of the fifth.
 
However, the Mavericks could not break through in the bottom half of the first three innings starting runners on first in each of the first three.
 
Mauser faced her first difficulties in the top of the sixth and gave up three hits, including a RBI double by Lisette Urquidez but got out of the inning with just one run conceded after getting pinch-hitter Clarissa Marrujo to pop out before striking out clean-up hitter Kianna Galindo for the third time.
 
Held to just one hit through five innings by Leger, who recorded ten strikeouts in a complete game effort, the Maverick offense got rolling in the bottom of the sixth as Iliana Mendoza hit a bunt single against her former squad.  Bryerly Avina then pinch-ran for her and stole second before Tucson native Ashley Bradford, leading the Mavericks with a .407 batting average thus far in 2022, plated Avina with the game-tying single.
 
Bradford then advanced to third on a Lauren Wedman sacrifice but was left stranded setting the stage for the seventh.
 
Adair, who moved to 4-1 with the relief win, came in and quickly retired the Greyhounds in order in the top of the seventh before Arrieta took Leger's first pitch of the seventh inning for a long ride to give the Mavericks the victory.
 
Both teams finished with four hits as the Greyhounds slipped to 7-7.  Leger is now 6-2.
 
The Mavericks will open up RMAC play with their home-opening series against MSU Denver next Saturday (Feb. 26) and Sunday (Feb. 27) at the CMU Softball Field.  Doubleheaders will begin at noon on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday.
 
The Roadrunners were 7-4 entering a home Sunday doubleheader with St. Edward's (Texas).