Perennial powerhouse Wolf Point came to town Thursday to face off against the Richland County legion team. The Yellow Jackets used efficient hitting, accurate pitching and solid defense to pick up a pair of conference victories against the Patriots.

It looked to be an extremely competitive and tight affair early in the first game. After giving up a lead-off single in the first, Patriot pitcher Tyler Schilling retired the side in order to keep things scoreless.

Jordan Nesper reached on a walk to give the Pats a base runner in the first but was unable to score. Schilling again kept Wolf Point off balance in the second as the Yellow Jackets fell in order with a trio of fly-outs.

The Patriots threatened in the second as Cole Steinbeisser drove a double into center to lead off the inning. Richland, however, was unable to capitalize, and the game remained scoreless.

The Yellow Jackets struck first with two runs in the second. Wolf Point scored two runs off of two hits, two walks, a hit batter and a Patriot error to force starter Schilling out of the game. Richland reliever Chris Lee got out of the jam with a ground out.

Scott Sturgis led the third off with a walk for the Pats and was followed by Lee with a double to left. Nesper and John Brisben added singles to right center to score Sturgis and Lee and tie the game up at two.

With two on and no outs in the third, Richland was unable to take advantage as Yellow Jacket pitcher Jerry Whitright retired the next three hitters in order.

Wolf Point took control from that moment on. The Yellow Jackets got seven across the plate off of five walks and run-scoring hits from Nolan Harris, Brian Vive and Adam Denny in the top of the fourth.

Leading 9-2, the Yellow Jackets continued to stay hot at the plate in the fifth. Harris, Vive, Denny Walker Dewitt and Chris Kurokawa all blasted run scoring hits to help Wolf Point score six and take a 15-2 lead.

Needing four runs to keep the game alive in the fifth, the Patriots were unable to get anything going. The Yellow Jackets earned the 15-2 victory.

Lee was tagged with the loss on the mound. Nesper led Richland with two runs batted in.

“We have the tools to be a good baseball team and you could tell that early in the game. We just had too many walks and weren’t able to get out of the big innings,” Patriot coach Jesse Nesper said.

It was all Yellow Jackets from the start in the second game. Nine, DeWitt and Tony Leland added run-scoring singles to help Wolf Point take a 3-0 lead in the first.

Lee led off the first with a single, but the Patriots were unable to score.

The Yellow Jackets picked up right where they started in the second. Wolf Point scored eight runs off four Patriot errors, two hits, a hit batter and four walks to take an 11-0 lead.

Richland relief pitcher Sturgis came in during the third inning and kept Wolf Point off balance. The Yellow Jackets were unable to score in the third or fourth and the Patriots took advantage.

In the third, Nesper advanced to third base on a throwing error from the catcher after a strikeout. Nesper scored on a wild pitch to get the Pats within 10.

Ethan Hoffman, who reached on a walk, used good base running to score on a throwing error to make the score 11-2 in favor of Wolf Point going in the fifth.

The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the fifth with run-scoring doubles from DeWitt and Whitright to take a 13-2 lead.

The Pats showed plenty of heart in the fifth. Needing two runs to keep the game alive, Richland did just that. Nesper reached on an error and Rick Haraldson got on with a single.

Nesper scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Schilling. Haraldson scored when Zach Nybo grounded out to second to get within nine.

Wolf Point added three runs in the sixth to try and put the game out of reach for the Pats. The Yellow Jackets scored three off of two walks, a single and a double.

Needing three runs to keep the game alive, Richland was unable to get anything going. The Yellow Jackets earned the 16-4 conference victory.

Brisben took the loss at the mound. Nesper led the Pats at the plate with a hit and two runs.

The Pats received a good pitching performance in the nightcap from reliever Sturgis who also pitched two innings in the first game.

“Scott did a nice job tonight and has been a work horse for us all season. Considering this is his first year in legion baseball, Scott has done great this year. I couldn’t ask any more of him,” coach Nesper said.

The Patriots travel to Plentywood Tuesday and Glendive Wednesday in a pair of conference doubleheaders at 5:30 p.m.

Richland will compete in a tourney in Glendive Friday and Saturday and will face Glasgow in a nine-inning non-conference affair at 2 p.m. Sunday at home.

“This isn’t a point of the season where we’re going to lay down and die. As a coaching staff, we’re going to try some new things. It’s still early and there is plenty of baseball to be played,” Nesper said.