It has been a good stretch for Helena-area softball. The Helena High Bengals opened the week with a 9-8 nail-biter over crosstown rival Capital High, then turned around and routed Missoula's Hellgate Knights 12-2 in an away conference game. Capital High got in on the action too, hammering Hellgate 19-4 in a separate conference contest played right here in Helena. Three games in one week, two different Helena schools, three wins combined — and the common opponent, Hellgate, didn't fare well in either matchup. For fans of prep softball in the Queen City, this is the time of year when conference standings start to matter and every run differential counts. Keep an eye on how both the Bengals and the Bruins stack up as the season moves toward its final weeks.