ROSEBURG – It has been trying times for the Doc Stewart’s as of late. The team is in the midst of its longest losing streak of the year and, despite playing teams close, can’t seem to get over the hump.

The Doc’s have lost five consecutive games after dropping two contests Thursday at home, the last four of which have all been one-run games. On Thursday, the Doc’s built a lead against the Perth Heat Colts, but faltered down the stretch to lose 6-5. The Doc’s followed that with a late game against Corvallis that went to extra innings and saw the Doc’s again lose 6-5.

Hitting has been the key as of late, as the Doc’s combined to get just 10 hits in the two games Thursday. Even still, the Doc’s have managed to keep games close and even had the game-tying run in scoring position at the end of both losses on Thursday.

The Doc’s started Thursday’s non-league action by building a 5-0 lead against the traveling team from Perth, Australia. Treven Jacks drove in three runs with a triple to right field in the first inning. Chris Stone added a run in the second on a sacrifice fly, and Cody Gray drove in a run with a double in the third.

But the Doc’s couldn’t keep the Colts off the board in the second half of the game. Perth scored four times in the fourth inning off of Doc’s starter Dalton McHugill. The Colts were aided by a few Doc’s miscues, like a dropped third strike that allowed the leadoff runner to reach base and a throwing error. Perth added two more runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-5 edge over the Doc’s.

The Doc’s managed to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the game came to an end when Jacks popped out to the first baseman in foul territory.

In the nightcap against Corvallis, the Marketmen scored three times in the second inning to build a 3-0 advantage, but the Doc’s battled back to take a one-run lead with three runs in the fourth. The Doc’s stretched their advantage to two-runs on a sacrifice fly by Will Reddekopp in the fifth, but the momentum was short lived.

Corvallis scored twice on three hits in the sixth inning to tie the game and eventually force extras. The Marketmen pulled ahead in the eighth after a one-out triple by Tieler Murray got a man in scoring position. Murray was brought home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of James Anderson. Murray then earned the win on the mound by getting the Doc’s to leave a man stranded at second base in the bottom of the eighth.

The Doc’s will try to find a way over the hump as they begin play in the Doc’s Tournament at Legion Field on Friday. The six-team tournament will feature both the Australia and Corvallis teams that the Doc’s faced Thursday, plus Medford, Mid Valley, and a team from Vancouver.

The tournament begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday with a contest between Corvallis and Australia. The Doc’s will play both of the late games on Friday and Saturday. Their first game of the tournament is against Mid Valley at 5:45 p.m. on Friday.

Follow the Doc’s games throughout the tournament on 1490 The Score and online at 541radio.com.