EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton Little League Intermediate baseball team defeated Auburn 15-5 at Sheehan Field Monday to advance to the state championship.

Easthampton walked off with the win following a nine-run sixth inning that invoked the mercy rule.

Nick Lloyd highlighted the inning with a grand slam.

“I was thinking, make contact, because good things will happen,” Lloyd said.

Easthampton will play Lincoln Sudbury in the state championship game. A date and place has yet to be determined.

“We’re just gonna sit back and relish this right now,” Easthampton coach Tom Colpack said. “These kids have worked so hard for this, and I’m just so proud of them all. They’ve done a great job. I mean, we’re 7-0 in this tournament and it’s just awesome. It’s just awesome. You just sit back and enjoy it.”

Easthampton defeated Auburn 16-3 in Game 1 of the best-of-three sectional finals on Saturday.

“That team’s a good team,” Easthampton coach Tom Colpack said. “Those games were pretty intense and they’ve got a good team, so I wasn’t gonna take them lightly, and that was the message to the kids.”

Easthampton led 6-5 when the offense broke out in the sixth.

Otis Follet started off the inning with an RBI double that drove in Hudson Fulcher-Melendy. Soon after, with Colin Larson, Follet and Justin Colpack all on base, Lloyd brought them home for an 11-5 lead.

A pitching change for Auburn was unable to stop Easthampton. The game ended after Ohm Patel, Will Robbins, Mike Rodriguez and Fulcher-Melendy scored off hits from Fulcher-Melendy and Larson.

Auburn took a 1-0 lead on a home run in the top of the first, but Larson (3-for-4) answered with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the frame for Easthampton.

Lloyd, Patel (3-for-3) and Will Robbins followed with RBIs that scored Follet, Colpack and Lloyd for a 4-1 lead.

Defense helped keep Auburn off the scoreboard.

Easthampton second baseman Matt Damon combined with shortstop Follet and first baseman Colpack for a double play in the top of the second. Damon then dove to stop a ball near second base and beat the Auburn runner with a fast throw to Colpack for the third out.

In the third, Nick Jolicoeur made two catches in right field for Easthampton to end the inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, Easthampton’s Mike Rodriguez made it 5-1 with an RBI single to right field that scored Patel.

Auburn rallied in the top of the fourth with two runs, then chased Robbins with two runs in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5.

Justin Colpack relieved Robbins. Following an intentional walk to load the bases, Colpack struck out two to end the inning.

“I had to walk that batter to set up a force out, so the bases were loaded and there was only one out,” Tom Colpack said. “I had the confidence for him to do it.”

Easthampton went up 6-5 in the fifth after Robbins hit an RBI single past second base that drove in Lloyd.

Easthampton’s defense kept Auburn off the board in the sixth. Larson made two plays in center field, catching one fly and making another long throw to Lloyd to catch a runner at the plate.

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