RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Bryan Heward finished the day 6-for-9, including knocking in the tying run and scoring the walk-off run in the bottom of the 10th in Game 1, as the No. 17 Arkansas Tech baseball team opened its 2015 season by splitting a nonconference doubleheader against Missouri Western Friday at Tech Field.

The Wonder Boys (1-1) kicked off the season with a wild victory in the afternoon opener, twice coming back from deficits against the Griffons (1-1) in a 5-4 win.

Tech spotted Missouri Western with the first three runs of the game, as the visitors netted one run in the second inning and two more on a home run in the top of the third. After the Wonder Boys went down in order in three of their first four trips to the plate, they turned up the pressure in the fifth, as Heward started things off with a single and Marcus Wilson walked. Both runners moved up on a balk against the Griffons' pitcher, and Heward scored on a Blake Owen single to the right side, while a John Lassiter single up the middle pushed Wilson home to pull Tech within one.

With starter Trent Armstrong cruising after a tough first three frames, the Wonder Boys struck to tie it in the bottom of the eighth. Heward again got things started, reaching on an error before scoring on a Keenan Jumper single with two outs. The Griffons again took the lead in the top of the 10th, but reliever Ryan Vruggink clamped down to get a strikeout to end the inning and leave the Wonder Boys a chance in the bottom half.

There, Caleb McKinnon singled down the left field line and moved to second on a wild pitch. Heward flared a hit to left to score McKinnon and tie the game once again, and made it to second on a fielding error by the left fielder. After Wilson walked, pinch hitter Seth Wheeler attempted to lay down a bunt with no outs and men on first and second, getting one of the worst possible results when he popped up the 0-1 offering. The Missouri Western pitcher couldn't handle the ball in the air though, and misfired trying to recover with a throw to first. The ball slipped into foul territory in right field, and a hard-charging Heward slid into home just ahead of the throw to get the Wonder Boys' season off to an undefeated start.

In addition to Heward's 4-for-5, three-run showing, Lassiter was 2-for-5 with a clutch RBI. After his first three innings saw him allow five hits and three runs, Armstrong went four more and allowed just one baserunner, striking out seven overall to just two walks. Vruggink picked up the win after coming in for the final two outs of the top of the 10th.

The nightcap didn't feature such fun in the final inning for the hosts, as the Griffons scored six in the top of the seventh to come back for a 9-6 victory and avoid a season-opening sweep.

Each team's first batter of the game showed off some pop, as Missouri Western's Ryan Degner homered to right field before Tech's Colin O'Neil followed with a solo shot of his own down the left field line to tie things up at 1-1. The Wonder Boys seemed to be in a good position after putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the fourth, with all the runs coming with two outs. Owen started with a  double and O'Neil walked before a fly out for the second out of the inning, but Patrick Castleberry reached on a fielding error by the short stop, and Patrick Ayers' hard shot to the first baseman did the trick as well, as the pitcher couldn't handle a low toss, allowing Owen and O'Neil to come home. McKinnon followed with a lined shot up the middle to plate Castleberry and Ayers, pushing the Wonder Boys to a 5-1 advantage.

The Griffons slowly started climbing back in, scoring two in the top of the fifth. An Ayers sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth made it 6-3, but Missouri Western attacked closer Randy Vallejo quickly, getting a triple, a single, a walk and a double in its first five plate appearances of the top of the seventh. Cody Jones replaced Vallejo after those three hits and two runs scored, but the Griffons tacked on four more runs on three more hits and a walk to take the 9-6 lead that the Wonder Boys would not be able to answer.

O'Neil and Heward each posted two hits in Game 2, while O'Neil scored three runs and knocked one in with his homer. Ayers and McKinnon each posted two RBIs.

The Wonder Boys close out the season-opening series against the Griffons Saturday with another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Tech Field.