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Coffee County baseball’s return to Class 4A District 9 play ended in defeat Monday night.

Hosting Shelbyville, the Red Raiders gave up a pair of sixth-inning runs before surrendering four more in the top of the eighth on the way to a 6-2 loss. The result dropped Coffee County to fourth place in the district standings with a 2-3 record.

Coffee County got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Shelbyville pitcher Brody Thomas walked Jaxon Pruitt with the bases loaded, bringing home Preston Steele from third base.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Pruitt knocked the ball out to left field for a double, bringing Grayson Sadler to the plate with a runner in scoring position. Sadler proceeded to connect on a double of his own, getting Pruitt home to make it a 2-0 Red Raider lead.

Shelbyville answered in the top of the sixth inning on a triple from Caden Peacock with two outs, bringing in a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. Neither team added another run after seven innings, sending the game into extras.

The Golden Eagles got off to a quick start in the top of the eighth, taking a 4-2 lead on a two-run home run from Case Davis. Shelbyville went on to add two more runs before the side was retired, sending Coffee County to the plate down by four.

The Red Raiders were unable to cut back into it in the bottom of the inning, opening it up with back-to-back strikeouts before a game-ending groundout to bring it to a close.

Sadler was credited with two of Coffee County’s four hits. Pruitt and Davis McKenzie each had one.

Pruitt and Sadler had one RBI each for a team total of two.

McKenzie pitched the first seven innings, finishing with nine strikeouts, four hits, two runs and three walks. Kasen Shores started off the top of the eighth, coming off with one strikeout, four hits and four runs. Austin Gipson took his place to close out the inning, adding one hit and one walk.

Coffee County (12-8) will look to bounce back with a trip to Shelbyville for the second game of the district series Tuesday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.