Marion High School fans can sit on a gentle slope that overlooks the baseball and softball fields at the Les Hipple Sports Complex and watch the action on both diamonds if they want.

They probably enjoyed what they saw on the softball field a lot more than what they saw on the baseball field Thursday night.

The Marion baseball team dropped a Wamac Conference doubleheader to Williamsburg, 9-7 and 7-6, as Marion pitchers walked 13 batters and hit two others.

Meanwhile, the softball team swept a Wamac twinbill from Williamsburg on the adjoining field, 12-5 and 13-2.

Marion baseball coach Steve Fish wasn't too thrilled with what he saw on his field either.

"We have some young kids," he said, "and I think there's a false sense of maybe how good we are. Tonight we were exposed in a lot of areas."

The Indians (15-7, 8-4) reached the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament last year and have a chance to return this season, but Fish said his club has been living dangerously with late rallies that have camouflaged some problem areas.

Indeed, Marion rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the nightcap to pull within 7-6 before falling short.

"That's the way our season has been," he said. "We've come back and won a lot of games. I'm kind of glad we didn't do it, because then there's this false reality."

Marion pitchers walked seven batters and hit a guy in the first game, then walked six batters and hit another in the nightcap.

"Obviously, if you walk that many people you're not going to win games," said Fish.

Fish also had a frank conversation with his club about "heart, effort and focus" after the twin defeats.

"As mad as I might be at these guys, I know there's learning that will be done," he said. "And our goal is to get better at the end."

Senior Addison Johnson led the Indians with four hits in the twinbill. Spencer Dale hit a two-run homer for Williamsburg (12-5, 9-5) in the nightcap.

GAME 1

WILLIAMSBURG (9)

Marine, 2b/ss, 3 3 1 2, Schultz, ss/p, 3 2 2 0, Cain, 3b, 3 2 2 1, Foley, lf, 4 0 0 1, Wetjen, p/2b, 2 1 2 1, Maas, cr/p, 0 0 0 0, Heitshusen, 1b, 5 0 1 0, Lehmkuhl, rf, 4 0 2 3, Dale, cf, 4 1 3 1, Gorsch, c, 4 0 0 0.

Totals 32 9 13 9.

MARION (7)

Wagner, 2b, 3 1 2 0, Stekl, ss, 3 0 0 0, Biery, 1b, 4 2 1 0, Johnson, c, 4 0 2 0, McGarvey, cr, 0 2 0 0, Davila, lf/p, 4 0 2 0, Larsen, cr, 0 0 0 0, Charipar, rf, 3 1 2 2, Hedtke, dh, 4 0 1 1, Lochner, p, 0 0 0 0, Hardman, lf, 0 0 0 0, Cannoy, cf, 4 0 1 0, Fuller, 3b, 4 1 1 0. Totals 33 7 12 3.

Williamsburg 301 221 0 - 9 13 4

Marion       202 003 0 - 7 12 2

Wetjen, Schultz (3), Maas (7) and Gorsch. Lochner, Davila (5) and Johnson. W - Schultz (2-0). L - Lochner (2-1). S - Maas (1). 2B - Schultz, Cain, Dale, Wagner, Johnson, Hedtke. HR - Marine. SB - Marine.

GAME TWO

WILLIAMSBURG (7)

Marine, p/2b, 4 0 0 0, Schultz, ss, 3 2 2 1, Cain, rf, 3 1 0 0, Wetjen, 2b, 1 0 1 1, Gragg, 2b, 1 0 0 0, Maas, p, 0 0 0 0, Wessels, cr, 0 0 0 0, Spratt, 3b, 3 1 1 0, Heitshusen, 1b, 1 0 0 1, Erwin, ph, 1 0 0 0,

Lehmkuhl, lf, 2 1 1 2, Garringer, ph, 1 0 0 0, Dale, cf, 3 1 1 2, Gorsch, c, 3 0 1 0, Maas, cr, 0 1 0 0. Totals 26 7 7 7.

MARION (6)

Wagner, 2b, 2 2 0 0, Stekl, ss, 3 1 2 0, Biery, 1b, 4 1 2 1, Johnson, c, 4 0 2 2, McGarvey, cr, 0 0 0 0, Kuhn, cr, 0 1 0 0, Davila, lf, 2 0 0 1, Hardman, lf, 0 0 0 0, Charipar, rf, 4 0 1 0, McGarvey, rf, 0 0 0 0,

Hedtke, dh, 1 0 0 0, Carstensen, ph/dh, 2 0 0 0, Q.Cannoy, p, 0 0 0 0, Connolly, p, 0 0 0 0, Schnieders, p, 0 0 0, C.Cannoy, cf, 3 0 0 0, Fuller,  3b, 3 1 1 0. Totals 28 6 8 4.

Williamsburg   132 100 0 - 7 7 1

Marion         002 000 4 - 6 8 2

Marine, Maas (6) and Gorsch. Q.Cannoy, Connolly (3), Schnieders (6) and Johnson. W - Marine. L - Q.Cannoy. 2B - Schultz, Spratt, Biery, Johnson, Fuller. HR - Dale. SB - Maas, Biery.