By Jordan J. Michael

BERNE –– Kieva Reynolds didn’t know she threw a no-hitter until after the game was over.

“I was really excited about it because I had witnessed everything during the game, but I didn’t really know,” said Reynolds, junior pitcher for the Berne-Knox-Westerlo softball team. “It was a cold day, so I was distracted. We checked the scorebook after and it was officially a no-hitter. My teammates and I flipped out!”

Reynolds pitched her no-hitter against Northville on April 20 at home, part of a 6-to-1 victory for the Bulldogs. Northville’s run came off two fielding errors by BKW in the fifth inning. Reynolds struck out 20 batters and walked five.

“That’s why I didn’t know till after the game because I didn’t know if one of those errors was a hit,” Reynolds said from her home on Tuesday. “We have this hill off right field and the pop-up that wasn’t caught rolled down the hill and the runner got all the way to third base.”

Coach Mike Reynolds, Kieva’s father, couldn’t recall a BKW no-hitter when The Enterprise asked when the last one took place. “I’ve been here for three years now and I can’t remember. There’s no record of one,” he said.

Kieva throws a fastball, cut-fastball, drop, drop-curve, curve, rise, screwball, and a change-up.

“It was pretty cold that day and I think the weather added to their frustration,” Kieva Reynolds said. “I couldn’t have done it without my team’s support. They were behind me all the way.”

“I think the no-hitter was due to the confidence of the players behind her,” said Mike Reynolds. “Everyone has each other’s back on this team and that’s why we’re doing well. Pitchers will have a strong advantage with that type of support.”

Kieva struck out three Northville batters in the first inning and walked one. She struck out three more in the second and walked two. In the third inning, Kivea had three strikeouts and two walks.

Reynolds struck out the side in the fourth inning and did the same in the fifth inning, in between the run scored by the two defensive errors. Reynolds struck out the side in the seventh to end the game with no hits.

“A no-hitter in softball is just as big an accomplishment as a no-hitter in baseball,” Mike Reynolds said. “The energy of that day was refreshing.”

“Everyone was going crazy after it ended,” said Kieva Reynolds. “I’m glad it happened because it was an awesome feeling.”