Saugus seniors Kennedy Thompson and Jasmine Reyes rode high into their Thursday matchup with Golden Valley.
The Centurion duo inked their national letters of intent to continue their athletic careers in college just ahead of the battle with the Grizzlies.
Thompson is officially set to join Hawaii softball while Reyes inked her letter for Concordia University Wisconsin.
Reyes then took the field and played one of her best games of the season, batting a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles in the seven spot.
The speedy Thompson also played a great game and delivered a 2-for-3 day at the plate in the nine-hole while making tough catches look routine in center field.
Saugus trailed Golden Valley before a big fourth inning by the senior duo pushed the Centurions ahead.
Reyes doubled and scored off an RBI from Zoe Hernandez before Thompson brought in the eight-spot hitter with a single.
The two have both been in the program for all four years and started together as freshmen on the Centurions’ junior varsity team before heading up to play under coach Amanda Clark on varsity.
“Both of them are great teammates, great people and they’re gonna be missed,” Clark said in a phone interview. “It’s hard when you have leaders like that, and you see the impact that they have in the program. So it’s hard to lose people like that.”
Reyes has shown immense growth in her four years in the Saugus program and earning her spot on a collegiate roster.
“Jasmine has really blossomed into this great athlete,” Clark said. “Like any of the kids coming into high school, they’re growing. Her arm strength was the most noticeable of all. That has developed from freshman year to now and it’s just phenomenal. She’s in the batter’s box and she’s so confident now. She always used to question herself and be so hard on herself. Now she’s blossomed, she’s comfortable and she’s a leader.”
Thompson has also been a leader on varsity and has done so for three seasons now. The future Rainbow Warrior is often regarded as one of the fastest outfielders in the Foothill League.
“When Kennedy’s in the box, you never know if she’s gonna put that bunt down or if she’s gonna drive it into the outfield,” Clark said. “She’s got a double whammy right there because you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how to play her on defense because she’s so good. Her speed on the bases is just unmatched. She is so aggressive and puts pressure on the defense and does the same thing in the outfield; she commands the ball.”
Saugus won the game 8-4 thanks to big hits and defense from the two future collegiate stars. The Centurions also got a huge boost from senior catcher Kaylie Stauffer, who smacked out her 11th home run of the season against Golden Valley, inching her closer to the program record.
Stauffer will also commit to her collegiate program soon and be yet another part of a star-studded senior class to graduate from Saugus softball.
“We’ve been blessed, I have to say,” Clark said. “We are getting these athletes coming in and you never know what they’re gonna blossom into but by the time their junior-senior year rolls around, they’re pretty phenomenal.”
Saugus closes out Foothill League play on Thursday at Castaic at 3:15 p.m. The team will also look to stay sharp and play in some non-league and tournament games with the postseason right around corner, giving Stauffer a few extra hacks to shoot for the record.
