MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For most of Monday night, West Virginia looked destined for a comfortable victory.

The Mountaineers built a four-run lead, controlled the game from the mound and fed off an electric crowd that never stopped making noise inside Kendrick Family Ballpark. Then, in a matter of minutes, everything changed.

Kentucky erased a 5-1 deficit with back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning, stunning the home crowd and forcing extra innings. Two innings later, however, the Mountaineers found the answer they needed.

Armani Guzman’s line drive dropped in front of a diving Kentucky center fielder in the bottom of the 10th inning, allowing Brodie Kresser to race home from second base with the winning run and sending West Virginia to a Super Regional with a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory.

The celebration was immediate.

Players poured out of the dugout and mobbed Guzman between first and second base while a packed crowd erupted around them. Hours after first pitch, the energy that West Virginia fans brought throughout the night had finally been rewarded.

The Mountaineers struck first in the opening inning when Gavin Kelly scored on a dropped third strike after Kentucky’s catcher was unable to complete the putout. Sean Smith reached safely on the play as West Virginia grabbed an early 1-0 advantage.

West Virginia added another run in the third inning when Paul Schoenfeld grounded out, bringing home Guzman to double the lead.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineer pitching staff kept Kentucky’s offense in check.

The Wildcats’ lone breakthrough through the first seven innings came in the fourth when Hudson Brown launched a solo home run. Outside of that swing, West Virginia controlled the game from the mound while continuing to add insurance runs.

Schoenfeld delivered again in the fifth inning, recording his second RBI of the night by scoring Guzman once more. Later in the inning, Matthew Graveline ripped an RBI double that plated Kelly and pushed the lead to 4-1.

One inning later, Kelly added another big swing for the Mountaineers, sending a solo home run over the wall to extend the advantage to 5-1.

At that point, West Virginia appeared firmly in control.

Kentucky had other plans.

With two outs, two strikes and two runners aboard in the eighth inning, Brown stepped to the plate and launched his second home run of the night, a three-run shot that suddenly pulled the Wildcats within one run.

Just moments later, Ethan Hindle followed with a solo home run of his own, again on a two-strike count, tying the game at 5-5 and silencing a crowd that had spent most of the evening celebrating.

The momentum had completely shifted.

Neither team managed to break through in the ninth inning, though Kentucky continued to threaten.

The Wildcats put additional pressure on West Virginia in the top of the 10th, bringing the potential go-ahead run aboard. Looking for an escape, the Mountaineers turned to Dawson Montesa, who had delivered a dominant outing in Sunday’s elimination game to help keep West Virginia’s postseason run alive.

Called upon once again in a critical moment, Montesa walked the first batter he faced before settling in. He recorded a strikeout and induced a lineout to strand the runners and keep the game tied.

That set the stage for West Virginia’s final opportunity.

Kresser opened the bottom of the 10th with a single, immediately bringing the crowd to its feet. Ben Lumsden followed with a walk, creating another wave of noise throughout the ballpark.

After Tyrus Hall’s sacrifice bunt attempt resulted in a popout to the pitcher, Guzman stepped into the batter’s box with one out and two runners aboard.

His line drive to center field appeared destined for a diving catch.

For a split second, the crowd fell quiet.

Then the ball popped loose.

As it rolled onto the grass, Kresser rounded third and raced home with the winning run. The crowd erupted, the dugout emptied and West Virginia’s celebration began.

The victory sends the Mountaineers to a Super Regional and guarantees that the next round of NCAA Tournament baseball will be played in Morgantown.

Fittingly, the night ended the same way it had been fueled from the start.

With thousands of fans still in attendance and a Regional championship secured, “Country Roads” echoed throughout Kendrick Family Ballpark as West Virginia celebrated one of the biggest wins of the year.