O’Fallon, MO – The River City Rascals are starting to get this one run thing down. The Rascals improved to 6-2 in one run games with their series clinching 3-2 win over the Midwest Sliders at T.R. Hughes Ballpark Thursday night.

It was a record setting night in O’Fallon as closer Mike Benacka picked up his fourth save of the season and twenty-fourth of his career, tying him with Pat Evers for the Rascals franchise mark.

His manager had plenty of compliments afterwards.

“He’s been downright nasty for us all season,” Toby Rumfield said. “He’s got two plus pitches. He throws the best changeup in the league. I can’t be more pleased from what I’ve gotten from [Benacka] and the bullpen this season.”

The Rascals bullpen picked up their second straight victory as again it was Armando Carrasco (2-0). For the series, the Rascals’ bullpen did not allow one run in 13.0 innings.

Bobby Mosby started the scoring for River City against former Rascal Albert Ayala with a two-out single up the middle to score Brad Hough in the first.

The Rascals got to Ayala again in the second when Jacob DeBoer hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 2-0. It could have been worse for Ayala as the Rascals stranded four base runners in the first two innings.

Danny Powers made his third start of the season for River City and struck out 10 in six innings but did not factor into the decision. Powers gave up a solo homerun to Sam Deluca to lead off the fifth.

The right-hander got in trouble again in the sixth with the score 2-1 as he walked Anthony Albano to start the inning. Albano went to second on an error by Hough at third and later scored on a double by Troy Ferguson to tie the ballgame.

From there it was turned over to the bullpens. Jon Dandridge came into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning and sat down the first seven he faced.

In the eighth, Phil Laurent singled with one out to get the Rascals going. Laurent then stole second base on a pitch-out that was not able to be controlled by catcher Oscar Villamar. That proved costly as Dandridge then threw a wild pitch to move the runner to third.

Drew Bigda, a lefty, was brought in to face left-hander Luke Barganier with two outs. Rumfield countered with right-hander Andy Bettis. Bettis, standing in just a day after he collected his first hit of the season, chopped one over Bigda’s head and was called safe at first on a close play which scored the go-a-head run.

Bigda would later be ejected for arguing the call.

The game was then turned over to Benacka who worked around a leadoff walk, striking out one in the process to earn the save.

Carrasco went one inning without allowing a hit or run. Bigda (0-2) went 2.2 innings in the loss.

The win moves the Rascals (9-6) into a tie for first place in the Frontier League West with the slumping Evansville Otters who have now lost six straight. River City, now 8-1 at home, will host the Washington Wild Things over the weekend. Friday nights are Progress West Firework nights with fireworks following the game starting at 7:05 p.m. The gates open at 6:05 p.m. For tickets to see the division leading Rascals call (636) 240-BATS or visit www.rivercityrascals.com.