The Moose Jaw Miller Express need to find a spark as their late season slide continued on Thursday night.

The Millers dropped to 18-20 on the year with a 5-2 loss to the Okotoks Dawgs at Ross Wells Park. It was Moose Jaw's third straight loss at home this week.

"We're getting behind early and everything is piling up against us rather than for us, so that makes it really difficult because we're always fighting from behind," said Markus Gregson with the Millers.

Despite still searching for their first win of the week, the Millers have been right there in all three games and Gregson said that they just need to get some momentum on their side.

"All the guys on the field are fighting, nobody is pouting, no one is upset, we're just trying to grind it out and really come back to finish off strong on these last 12 games or so," he said.

Moose Jaw fell in an early hole when Dawgs lead-off hitter Collin Ridout drove the first pitch over the fence for a home run. Okotoks would go up 2-0 in the second inning.

The Millers responded in the third with a single and stolen base by Eric Marriott, who then came in to score on a single by Blake Gallagher to make it 2-1 after three.

Gregson, who is a pitcher turned first baseman for the game, hit a solo home run to centerfield in the fifth inning to tie the game up at 2-2.

"The last time I hit a home run was probably in high school," said the University of Fraser Valley junior. "It felt good, you get a little lucky sometimes."

The Millers are currently shorthanded in the position player department after some players had to return home early. Gregson played first base, while fellow pitcher Mitchell Robinson was at designated hitter for the game.

"We're down on position players right now, so I said that I could do it and Coach Hunt gave me a chance and I did what I could," said Gregson.

Okotoks would answer Gregson's game-tying home run with two runs in the top of the sixth to move in front for good. They added some insurance with another run in the ninth to take both games from the Millers at Ross Wells.

Moose Jaw will now prepare to play four games in three nights over the weekend.

"I believe that we can go all the way, especially with our pitching staff and hitters, we have all the tools, it’s just about putting them together," said Gregson.

The Millers will attempt to put it all together on Friday when they travel to Yorkton to face the Cardinals at 7 p.m.

Moose Jaw hosts Weyburn for a doubleheader on Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. and then they welcome in Swift Current on Sunday at 7 p.m.