The Helena High Bengals beat the Capital Bruins 9-8 in a conference softball game Monday, May 5, with Helena playing as the away team.

The one-run margin makes it the kind of game that turns on a single play, and the Bengals held on to take the win. No pitching, hitting, or fielding details were reported beyond the final score.

The rivalry between Helena High and Capital High is one of the more consistent threads in local prep sports — the two schools share a city and a fan base that tends to have strong opinions about which side of town produces the better athletes. This one went to the Bengals.