Reshma Shivaji Punekar

Reshma Shivaji Punekar

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 148 lb.

• School Savitribai Phule Pune University

• Born September 4, 1998

Biographical Information

Reshma Shivaji Punekar has pitched for the Indian women's national team.

She debuted in the 2017 Women's Baseball Asian Cup, relieving Sunil Bodekar Girija against Taiwan shortly after her 19th birthday. She allowed four runs in two innings before Rupashi Lenka succeeded her. She had the team's highest ERA. In the 2019 Women's Baseball Asian Cup, she was the workhorse of the Indian staff. She lost to powerful Japan in their opener, loss to Yiran Shang and China the next day, threw a four-inning mercy rule no-hitter to beat Minahl Ahmed and Pakistan the day after that, came back the next day to lose a close game versus South Korea and then losing to Ting Fung and Hong Kong for her 5th decision in 5 days; she got all the decisions for India. She worked 25 of their 28 innings and had a 8.96 ERA; she also tied for 5th with 6 steals on offense.

Punekar was India's captain for the 2023 Women's Baseball Asian Cup. In that event, she pitched all but 1/3 of an inning in the opening win over Thailand but the win went to Athulya Chonamkandathil, who finished it off. She then struck out 11 of 14 batters in another mercy rule no-hitter, this time against Malaysia; only two hit batsmen (Siti Noor Aishah Samin, Nurul Ain Farahah Yusof) prevented a perfect game as she beat Hilmi Afrina Afiqah. She was also 3-for-3 with 4 steals, 3 runs and 3 RBI that game. In the preliminary round, she tied for 6th in RBI (4), was 6th in steals (6), ranked 4th in ERA (5.25, between Sirapat Kasornsuwan and Wai-Yin Michelle Lam), tied Lam for 3rd in opponent average (.231), was second in IP (5 1/3 behind Sadia Bibi), led in K (18, 6 more than Bibi), was second to Bibi in starts and had the only shutout. India moved on to the main round. That round, she lost to Yin-Sum Kwong of Hong Kong and lost to Jiayi Fang and China. She was 1-for-10 with a run and a steal in that round while having a 14.28 ERA. She tied Made Ayu Oktaviani and Kwong for the most losses in the round, tied for 5th in appearances (3), tied for second in starts (2, one behind Kwong), was 4th in IP (8 1/3, between Kwong and Min-sung Park), was second with 17 hits allowed (one behind Nawra Salma Fatima), tied Fatima for the most runs allowed (18), allowed the most earned runs (17, 2 more than Fang), was second to Kwong in walks (11 to 14) but tied Kana Onodera for the most strikeouts (9) as well. Per our list of No-Hitters in International Tournaments, she is the only known performer with solo no-hitters in back-to-back events; Yoshiki Fuchigami closed out combined no-nos in consecutive events.