AMSTERDAM, NY - Sometimes you can dig yourself out of a hole. 

But other times you find yourself in an abyss, spiraling further and further into the inescapable darkness. 

Boonville (17-19-1) dropped its ninth-straight to Amsterdam (28-8-2) Tuesday night at Rao Family Stadium, losing 5-3. 

And errors helped cement the Lumberjacks’ defeat yet again. 

Boonville didn’t record a single blunder until the bottom of the eighth, and the squad’s fielding unit helped starting pitcher Quinn Oliver work out of two bases-loaded jams in back-to-back innings, with infielders Angel Santiago and Sebastian Burgos flashing their chemistry in the middle infield to turn two double plays that marked the end of the bottom of the fourth and fifth, respectively. 

The Lumberjacks held a one-run lead going into the bottom of the eighth, but a pitch got past catcher Connor Tepatti, tying the game at three apiece. 

But Boonville still had an opportunity to maintain the tie with the heart of their order due up in the top of the ninth. 

With two outs and Mohawk runners standing on second and third base, reliever Peter Nenadich III got a Mohawk batter to chop a ball over to third baseman Miguel Gonzalez. 

The Miami, Florida, local corralled it quickly and had time to spare on the relay throw to first baseman Carter McKay. But Gonzalez threw the ball into the dirt, landing in front of McKay, who was unable to scoop it into his mit. 

Santiago raised his hands to his head and appeared shocked as he watched the fielding collapse unfold, marking the third time in the past four games that a defensive mistake has helped seal a Lumberjack defeat. 

The ball rolled past the foul line, and Amsterdam plated two runners, gaining its first lead of the contest. 

The Mohawk pitching staff retired the middle of the Lumberjacks’ batting order in three-up-three-down fashion to conclude the affair. The Lumberjacks’ lineup recorded 17 strikeouts throughout the game – its most of the season. 

During the nine-game skid, the squad has beaten itself on numerous occasions, and sloppy fielding play has represented the main culprit driving the slump. 

The Lumberjacks slipped further in the East Division standings and have only five games remaining to make up the now two-game difference between them and the fourth-place Diamond Dawgs. 

Boonville will face Oneonta tomorrow night at Hanson Aggregates Field.