Through the only three scored events at the2011  NCAA Track and Field Championships, the Arizona Wildcat women's team finds itself in a five-way tie for first place.

The Wildcats placed finishes in scoring positions -- the Top 8 are scored -- of both the discus throw and the 10,000-meter run. Freshman Baillie Gibson qualified for the final round with an eighth-place finish in the qualifying rounds.

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It was more impressive than the Arizona men's basketball streak of 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea led his team to 21 straight Women's College World Series in a row, the near-equivalent of the men's basketball's Elite Eight.

OK, so the competition has more depth in men's basketball. So what? The Streak was a staple of the Wildcats' dominance, one that won them eight national titles. Saturday, on the brink of elimination against the Oklahoma Sooners, that run finally ended.

Zero, as in none, of the Wildcats could find a timely hit. Making matters worse, lead-off hitter and left fielder Brittany Lastrapes broke her hand in Game 1 and miffed an easy catch in an attempt to play before being pulled. Said Candrea:

"This weekend found our holes. Brittany (Lastrapes) came in yesterday evening, told me her hand was broken, and that was not what I wanted to hear. We tried to make a go of it, but couldn't."

Arizona lost 5-2 in the elimination game at Hillenbrand Stadium. It was a mirror image of Game 1 of the Super Regional, where both teams posted enough hits to make it an offensive-themed outing. Only one team, however, pushed those scores to home plate.

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Turns out Mike Candrea's Arizona Wildcat softball team still hasn't found the magic potion against the Oklahoma Sooners.

After losing twice to OU during the regular season, Arizona was once again befuddled by masterful pitching from Sooner Keilani Ricketts in a 6-0 losing effort in Game 1 of the NCAA Super Regional at Hillenbrand Stadium Friday night.

In front of a national ESPNU audience, the Wildcats evened the Sooners with seven hits, but as was the theme of the night, loaded bases and two outs went in Oklahoma's favor and against Arizona's. Twice did they strand loaded bases, tallying seven hits on the night and scoring none.

On the other side of the ball, the Sooners posted only one more hit, but where Ricketts got the clutch outs, the Wildcat pitching staff struggled. Ace Kenzie Fowler was chased after four innings after giving up five hits. Freshman Shelby Babcock finished out the game but also allowed three hits, one of which was the cherry on top -- a home run by Ricketts in the seventh inning that pulled whatever hope left out of Hillenbrand's crowd.

The game was defensive from the jump, both Fowler and Ricketts keeping the pressure off the defenses. That was until a third inning which saw both teams load the bases. Fowler got out by allowing only one run in the inning, but Arizona couldn't push any runners home after loading the bases with two outs at the bottom of the period.

In the fourth, the Sooners swept in five runs quickly, jumping on Fowler pitches and then clearing in two more scores against Babcock.

As for the hitting, left fielder Lauren Schutzler and second baseman Kristen Arriola had two hits apiece. And if anything, seven hits showed that contact was being made with Ricketts pitches -- they just weren't getting the right part of the aluminum on the ball.

And with a crowd of more than 3,000 fans, even the enthusiasm remained despite a large scoring deficit. Tomorrow afternoon is Game 2 with an if-necessary Game 3 planned to be played after a short intermission should the Wildcats tie up the three-game series.

Will they take advantage of the home field?

They beat the Arizona Wildcats twice this season, one in an early-season 11-1 clobbering in Tempe. They have the edge in confidence.

But to think that the Oklahoma Sooners are the absolute favorites tonight, when they'll face Arizona tonight at 8:30 on its home field at Hillenbrand Stadium, would be a lazy assertion.

This is an embattled Wildcat team. And with a coach like Mike Candrea, that can be a good thing. Learning from mistakes is all part of Candrea's preaching of his process.

Regular season struggles came after the team went the distance last year, losing to UCLA in the Women's College World Series finals and after senior leader K'Lee Arredondo graduated. So what was this year? A shifting of roles, a puzzle that was looking for a voice from players like seniors Lauren Schutzler and Brittany Lastrapes, neither of whom had the natural put-your-foot-down leadership of Arredondo.

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This season hasn't been easy for Arizona softball coach Mike Candrea. A 40-16 record heading into the postseason looks solid, as does a No. 8 national ranking. But with increased parity in NCAA softball, high expectations and a foul ball that took a chunk of pitcher Kenzie Fowler's season away thanks to a concussion, well, it hasn't been your average Arizona softball team.

With that, the Wildcats were sure they'd be sent elsewhere for the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. In fact, they were wrong.

In past years with more successful teams -- this squad is a measly 11-10 in Pacific 10 Conference play -- the selection committee has surprised Candrea and Co. by sending them out of Tucson. But on Sunday evening, the Wildcats were surprised they'd have two rounds of play at Hillenbrand Stadium.

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For six innings, Arizona and Arizona State's pitchers baffled their oppositions hitters.  But then in the top of the 7th, the tide shifted and it all went ASU's way. 

With the bases loaded, freshman pitcher Shelby Babcock hung a pitch that Katelyn Boyd blasted over the fence just to the left of the batters eye in dead center. 

4-0 ASU, and that was all she wrote.

With freshman sensation Dallas Escobedo dealing, Arizona only had one chance to score, but that chance was squashed in the 6th with the bases loaded. 

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Looking for some input from the Wildcat faithful on what you want to hear about, other than football and basketball.  And yes, I'm including the club sports in the discussion.