Coltyn Kessler blasted a double off the left-centerfield wall Tuesday night to cap a four-run ninth inning by Kentucky and give the Wildcats a 6-5 win over Butler.

It marked Kentucky's second walk-off victory in the last three games at Kentucky Proud Park.

Trailing 5-2 after Butler mounted its own comeback late in the game, the Cats loaded the bases with no outs in their final trip to the plate. Oraj Anu opened the rally with a leadoff double before John Rhodes was hit by a pitch and T.J. Collett drew a walk.

Trae Harmon followed with a line-drive single to drive in two runs and pull UK within 5-4. After pinch-runner Zeke Lewis stole second base, Kessler provided the biggest hit of the young season for the Cats.

“Just trying to pass a good at-bat to the next guy,” said Kessler, a senior catcher who worked a full count before his heroic swing. “I got a good, hanging pitch to hit and put a good swing on it.”

“I told our team we needed a come from behind win,” UK head coach Nick Mingione said. “You want them to experience everything. We needed that one.”

Kentucky (14-4, 2-1 SEC) will try to ride the momentum into its first road trip of the season, traveling to Auburn for a three-game league series that opens Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Kessler also drove in UK's second run of the night on a third-inning single to drive in John Rhodes, who had doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

The Cats' pitching staff made that hold up until the sixth inning when Butler sliced the lead to 2-1. A solo home run by the Bulldogs' Brody McGrath in the seventh tied the game at 2.

It looked like Butler (3-5) had taken control with two more runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth on a solo homer by Robbie McCargar, but the Bulldogs' bullpen could not hold the lead.

Cole Daniels (1-2) earned the win as UK's sixth pitcher on the night. He tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Freshman Ryan Hagenow started for the Cats, working four scoreless innings before exiting with a blister issue in the fifth inning. He lowered his season ERA to 1.00.

Jack Pilcher (0-1) took the loss for Butler, allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks in just one inning of work.

Kentucky banged out 13 hits on the night, led by Ryan Ritter with three. Chase Estep, Anu, Harmon, and Kessler each added two hits. Kessler raised his season batting average to a robust .435.