PikeView softball reaches state tournament for first time after comeback win
PikeView erased a 3-0 deficit in Princeton, then earned its first state softball berth with Emma Weiss’s grand slam and Shelby Maddox’s 11-strikeout complete game.
PikeView turned a 3-0 deficit into the biggest softball moment in school history, rallying in Princeton on May 17 to beat Greenbrier East 7-5 and reach the WVSSAC State Softball Tournament for the first time.
The Panthers trailed 3-0 in the third inning before exploding for six runs in the bottom of the frame. Emma Weiss delivered the swing that changed everything, launching her first home run of the season for a grand slam. Shelby Maddox then protected the lead with a complete-game effort, striking out 11 and giving PikeView the stability it needed after the early hole.
The win sent PikeView into the state bracket at Little Creek Park in South Charleston, where the WVSSAC tournament is scheduled for May 27 through June 4. This year’s championship is the first installment of an eight-team, double-elimination format, which means every step from regional play matters. PikeView reached that stage during the official state-qualifying run that began May 11, not in a one-off showcase.
For McDowell County, the result carried weight beyond one postseason upset. PikeView’s breakthrough offered a rare high-profile sports moment for a county more often defined by water problems, population loss and budget pressure. A first state softball berth gives the Panthers a new point of identity and a visible example of what girls sports can produce when a program stays competitive deep into May.
The run also arrived with momentum already behind it. MaxPreps listed PikeView at 19-6 in the postseason window, with a 16-0 win over Capital on May 12 and a 4-3 win over Liberty on May 8 showing the Panthers were finishing the season with sharp results. That late surge helped set up the regional push that carried them to Princeton and then to South Charleston.
Elsewhere in the same regional round, Greenbrier West topped Mount View 7-2. Brilee Redden hit a three-run home run for the Cavaliers and became the program’s career home-run leader with 20, while Mount View’s season ended short of the state stage. PikeView’s night was different: Weiss, Maddox and a 7-5 comeback gave the Panthers a first trip to the state tournament and a new standard for the program.
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