It was a rough Monday on the softball diamond for Helena's two Class AA programs. Capital High dropped a 5-4 decision to the Butte Bulldogs on May 12, while Helena High fell to the Big Sky Eagles by a score of 6-0 in a game that was never close.

The Bruins' loss to Butte was the kind of game that stings — a one-run conference result that could matter in the standings come playoff seeding. Capital had enough offense to make it interesting but couldn't find the run that would have flipped the result. Butte picked up the road win and the conference points that come with it.

Helena High's afternoon against Big Sky was a more difficult story. The Bengals were held scoreless through the contest, a shutout loss that will demand attention from the coaching staff heading into the rest of the conference schedule. Both Helena-area teams will be looking to bounce back as the regular season moves toward its final weeks.