PORTLAND -- With three losses to start their inaugural season, the Portland Thunder will turn to new quarterback Danny Southwick to lead their struggling offense.

Southwick was added to the roster on April 3 and played just two days later in Portland’s 44-34 loss to the Los Angeles KISS.

“It’s been obviously a whirlwind, last week coming in and really being here as a waiver guy,” Southwick said. “I think I’m starting to get a better degree of comfort now that I’ve had a couple days of actual practice with the offense.”

After entering last week’s game at the beginning of the second quarter, Southwick led Portland to consecutive scoring drives, capped by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Monahan that drew the Thunder to within one near the end of the first half.

“I feel like it was a well-fought game,” Southwick said. “We left some little things out there… We need to make sure that we keep on cleaning up those details because they’ll make the difference.”

He connected with Monahan for two more touchdowns in the second half, finishing 21 of 29 for 270 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.

A three-year veteran of the AFL, Southwick split last season between the Chicago Rush and Cleveland Gladiators, combining for 492 yards and eight touchdowns with one interception. He was a free agent to begin this season as he focused on graduate school at UC Irvine, where he is earning an MBA.

“There’s definitely a getting back in the swing of things factor, getting used to throwing every day and getting back in shape.”

Portland’s string of losses comes despite a defense that ranks fifth in the AFL in yards against (267 average) and seventh in points against (49). They are 12th of the league’s 14 teams in total offense, averaging 240 yards a game.

In their first two matchups, the Thunder rotated between quarterbacks Darron Thomas -- the former Oregon Ducks star -- and Nathan Enderle. Thomas started against Los Angeles before Southwick took over.

Southwick will look to help the Thunder earn their first win on Saturday, when they head to Spokane to take on Pacific division-leading Shock (2-1). Head coach Matthew Sauk was an assistant for the Shock in 2010 when they won the AFL championship.

“These things start to turn around, but it’s going to take mental toughness,” Southwick said. “We absolutely have the players that can go out there and compete and win against anybody. But it’s a process, and that process takes time, even for the best teams.”

--Lars Steier, special to The Oregonian