| The series opener between LSU and Arkansas on Friday night more than lived up to the hype. Great pitching. Clutch hitting. Superb defense. Crucial video reviews. Even, unfortunately, a lengthy weather delay. In the end, the Tigers' 5-4 victory, clinched by a sac fly in the 10th from Ethan Frey to score Jared Jones, was so packed with drama it spilled over to Saturday morning. Because of rain, the scheduled 6:30 p.m. game didn't begin until 9:57 p.m. and ended at 1:16 a.m. after a review to see if Jones was safe at home. Not even Jay Johnson was sure. "I asked my wife, 'Was he safe?'" the LSU coach said. Maureen Johnson could only shrug, but the guys in Birmingham on the video review confirmed the call. The win pushed LSU's record to 39-11 and 16-9 in SEC play, moving the Tigers one big step closer to being a top-eight national seed for the NCAA Tournament. But two big games in this series, weather permitting, remain, the next one scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Alex Box Stadium. Saturday's game, along with Sunday's 3 p.m. contest, are both scheduled to be on the SEC Network. As big as the game was, another story threatened to be the biggest headline of the night. LSU starting pitcher Kade Anderson left the game with two outs in the sixth inning because of an issue with his left (throwing) wrist. Afterward, LSU coach Jay Johnson said it was just a cramp and that he was evaluated afterward by the team trainer and checked out OK. Assuming his arm stays fine, the Tigers may have just dodged a huge threat to their postseason hopes. Our Koki Riley is churning out the stories on the Tigers coming down the stretch, including this feature on pitcher Chase Shores, who has had to transition from Sunday starter to relief pitcher late in the season. Shores was in fact the first pitcher to work in relief of Anderson on Friday night, bridging the gap to game-winner Zac Cowan (3-2) with 1.1 innings of work. Shores allowed two hits and a run after Anderson struck out 10 and Cowan fanned three more Razorbacks. Before we go, we've got a story on former and current LSU female sports stars, as Flau'jae Johnson, Angel Reese and Sha'carri Richardson have all earned BET nominations for its 2025 Sportswoman of the Year Award. That's all for now, folks. Time to rush home to sleep fast and get back here later Saturday. Good morning, from The Box. Scott Rabalais | 