The Illinois baseball team’s Sunday woes continued over the weekend, and the squad still isn’t sure as to why.

The Illini (20-20, 6-9 Big Ten) dropped a 7-5 contest in the series finale against the Northwestern Wildcats (18-25, 9-6) on Sunday at Illinois Field, marking the fourth straight Big Ten series that Illinois has dropped the finale after splitting the first two games. Illinois defeated Northwestern, 4-3, on Saturday after losing the opener 11-4 on Friday.

“I don’t know, I really don’t know,” sophomore center fielder Willie Argo said before offering some insight into the struggles in the finales of series.

“I think the Big Ten is very evenly matched this year. I don’t think there’s one team that’s better than everybody, I don’t think there’s one team that’s at the bottom. We’re evenly matched, so the first two games are getting split. The last one’s a toss-up, and we’re not getting it done.”

Despite Argo’s thoughts, there is a team at the bottom of the Big Ten right now, and that’s the Illini, who sit in a tie for last with Iowa at 6-9 in the conference. Still, the standings are bunched up, with Northwestern and Michigan sitting atop at 9-6. That leaves Illinois on the outside in its attempt to make the Big Ten Tournament, as only the top six conference finishers make it.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a sense of desperation,” said Argo, who went 1-for-5 on Sunday with a homer and three steals. “I think there needs to be a sense of urgency. We can’t keep losing series.”

Illinois looked good in the early going Sunday in its attempt to win a Big Ten series for the first time since April 4. Sophomore shortstop Josh Parr hit his first career home run in the second inning, a two-run shot to left-center, to stake the Illini to a 2-0 lead. Starter Kevin Manson was efficient through three innings, not allowing any runs and inducing a pair of double plays. Then the Wildcats got to him.

Northwestern, which entered the weekend with only three home runs in conference play, continued its weekend-long home run onslaught in the middle innings. Paul Snieder and Trevor Stevens hit solo shots to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth. After Illinois retook the lead when Argo stole home in the bottom half, Chris Kontos’ solo homer tied the game in the top of the fifth. Four batters later, Snieder chased Manson with his second homer of the day, a two-run blast that gave the Wildcats a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Manson took the loss in 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.

“(Kevin) tried to get some pitches in certain spots and left them out over the plate, and they made him pay for it,” Illinois head coach Dan Hartleb said.

In contrast, starter Kevin Johnson threw eight stellar innings Saturday, allowing three runs. Although he didn’t get a decision, the freshman right-hander kept the Illini in the game long enough for Craig Lutes to come through with some game-ending heroics. With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Lutes drove a 1-1 pitch just inside the right-field foul pole for the walk-off win.

Friday’s outcome for the Illini was also indicative of the starting pitching. Lee Zerrusen suffered the loss, giving up eight runs — six earned — in six innings. Most of the damage was inflicted by Northwestern’s Arby Fields. The center fielder went 4-for-6 with seven RBIs, all of them coming on his two homers — a grand slam in the second inning that highlighted a six-run frame and a three-run blast in the seventh that sealed the game.

For the weekend, the Wildcats pounded out eight home runs. But Parr knows the Illini offense needs to step up as well.

“It’s frustrating when the offense isn’t where you want it to be,” Parr said. “It’s baseball, you just have to keep grinding through it.

“We just got to band together. Be a band of brothers, man.”