MARBLEHEAD — When it gets to the postseason, every play matters. It proved to be true during Friday’s Div. 2 state tournament baseball game.

No. 29 Marblehead pounced on No. 36 Lynn Classical 2-0 and advanced to the Round of 32 against No. 4 Milton (Sunday at 4 p.m.).

You could say the game’s decisive sequence came in the bottom of the third inning.

Marblehead’s E.J. Wyman drew a lead-off walk, then Dylan Glass entered as a pinch-runner. From there, after a slow roller to Classical’s Mark Walsh, he attempted to start a double play, but his throw sailed over his second baseman’s head. 

After Marblehead’s Ryan Angilly attempted a bunt, the Magicians caught another break. The catcher’s throw back to first base got past Gavin Collins, allowing Glass to score from second while Madden Lyons advanced. Jack Buckley followed with an RBI single to give the Magicians a 2-0 lead.

“Our last three seasons have ended 2-0, 1-0, 2-0. Every time, it’s that one bad throw. Like today, it was just one bad throw that set them up,” said Classical coach Jason Rogato. “We lost to a good team.”

Marblehead coach Mike Giardi was pleased with Glass’ awareness on the bases, as well as the contributions of players who have embraced supporting roles this season.

“Dylan is a senior captain who does not start. Our first baseman Angilly is another senior captain who didn’t start most of the year. Those two guys are just what you want,” Giardi said. “Those two are guys you want as captains — kids who know it’s about the team and Dylan’s going to go out there knowing he has one job, which is to be a solid baserunner. Coach Bennett was waving him down the line waiting for the throw. Once he saw the throw get a little bit away, he sent him the rest of the way and took the shot.”

It was a pitching battle between Walsh and Lyons. Walsh tossed six innings, allowing two runs and one earned run on one hit, while striking out six batters and walking five. Lyons scattered four hits across seven scoreless innings to earn a complete-game victory.

“Mark Walsh pitched so well today. He was dominant and worked so hard,” Rogato said. “He threw strikes and did everything he could.”

“Walsh is a good pitcher. He’s not a thrower; he’s a pitcher,” Giardi said. “He kept us off-balanced. We only had one hit, but that’s what tournament play is. One tough play here and there can make a difference and we were able to take advantage of one bad play.”

Giardi praised Lyons’ tempo throughout the game.

“Madden’s pace was a lot better today,” he said. “We’ve been working on him getting more in a rhythm and changing his rhyme, changing his looks. He did a great job and I was impressed.”

Although the loss ended Classical’s season, the Rams will return all nine starters next spring. The program graduates just two seniors.

“There’s a core group of them and eight of them have been playing together for the last three years,” Rogato said. “We know what we are and we’re going to work hard to get back here.”

Giardi praised the job Rogato has done with Classical.

“It was great that it was a local game and there was a good crowd here today, but that’s a team that I think should have been ranked higher,” Giardi said. “I look at what they do and how they play the game — and they do it the right way. I was thoroughly impressed with what they did out there.”