BROOKFIELD—Seven years ago, Alyssa Lionetti stood in the pitching circle wearing a Brookfield uniform with a chance to bring home a state championship.
Instead, she walked off the field on the losing end of a Class L title game.
Two weekend ago, on a Saturday afternoon at UConn, she finally got her ring.
Only this time, she was standing in the third-base coaching box.
In just her second season as head coach, Lionetti guided Brookfield to a 26-win season (26-1) and the Class L state championship, earning recognition as the CT Softball Blog’s Diamond Awards 2026 Coach of the Year.
“The last time we were in a state championship was when I was pitching in 2018 and we haven’t been back since,” Lionetti said after the Bobcats defeated New Milford for the title. “It is a full-circle moment and I am so proud of these kids and to represent the town.”
It was a fitting ending for a season that saw Brookfield finally break through.
After falling short in the state quarterfinals a year ago and twice coming up empty against SWC rival Masuk in conference championship games, the Bobcats entered 2026 determined to finish the job.
They did just that.
Brookfield captured the SWC championship and then survived one of the wildest games in Connecticut history, rallying three separate times in extra innings before defeating Law in 15 innings in the Class L semifinals. Afterwards, Lionetti called it “the craziest game of softball I have ever seen.”
Four days later, the Bobcats completed their journey with a 3-1 victory over New Milford, securing the program’s first state title since 2000.
Along the way, Lionetti’s fingerprints were everywhere.
From managing one of the state’s most talented rosters to helping senior pitcher Sydney Miller and a veteran group navigate the pressures that come with championship expectations, Brookfield consistently answered every challenge placed before it.
And when the final out was recorded at Burrill Family Field, the former Bobcat pitcher who had once experienced heartbreak on the state’s biggest stage finally had her championship moment.
Seven years later, the ending was different.
And for Alyssa Lionetti, it was worth the wait.
For that, she is the CT Softball Blog’s 2026 Coach of the Year.
Leave a Reply