CONWAY, Ark. – Needing a win to stay in consideration to host a post-season matchup, the Missouri Baptist Spartans answered the challenge in a big way. MoBap got a 4-0 shutout win over Central Baptist College and will host the Mustangs again on Friday at Spartan Field.
 
It didn't take long for the visitors from St. Louis to get on the board, as grad student Maddie Mrazik put the Spartans on the board in the 10^th minute with a short shot from just outside the Mustang six-yard box. Pressure from the MoBap forwards had CBC bottled up and the Spartans capitalized on loose possession by CBC to gain early momentum. The goal for Mrazik was her fifth of the season and her third in the last two games.
 
In the 28^th minute, Skylar Hollingshead scored the first of her two goals on the day after a brilliant cross from Spartan defender Kacey Watson. Watson showed great speed on a run down the left sideline then curled to the high corner of the 18-yard box and sent a ball right onto the foot of the charging Hollingshead near the goal mouth to double the Spartan lead to 2-0. The assist for Watson was her first of the season. However, neither Hollingshead nor Watson were done putting their stamp on this victory.
 
Late in the half the visitors had a couple more opportunities to pad the lead but failed to find the net. MBU settled for a 2-0 at halftime.
 
Off the opening kick of the second half, Hollingshead had a golden opportunity to score again. A long ball was played in from across midfield and badly misplayed by two Mustang defenders who allowed the ball to flow through into the path of a run by Hollingshead. She mishit the finish well wide, but it was a hint of things to come.
 
It took the Lake Saint Louis, Mo.-native two more minutes to make up for it. Another long ball from near midfield was played into the 18-yard box, but this time the Mustang's keeper mishandled it with Hollingshead there to pounce. Her second goal of the game, and team-high eighth of the year, gave MoBap what seemed like an insurmountable three goal cushion.
 
In the 74^th minute, Watson would finish out the scoring with a hard left-footed shot from just outside the CBC 18-yard mark. Adding to her first assist of the season which she achieved earlier in the match, the goal was also the first of the season for the defender from Glasgow, Scotland.
 
As a team, the Spartans outshot the Mustangs 19 to three, and had the better form throughout the match. MBU goalkeeper Gabby Mattli was called upon to make just one save.
 
The 4-0 victory means the Spartans will play CBC again on Friday in the American Midwest Conference Tournament Quarterfinals, only this time it's the Mustangs who will make the nearly five-and-a-half-hour drive. Kickoff will be at Spartan Field at a time to be determined soon.