Fans, family members and a legendary coach returned to Les Murakami Stadium on Friday. But it was a newcomer — UC San Diego — that spoiled the reunion with a 6-2 baseball victory over Hawaii.

The Tritons took advantage of senior pitcher Cameron Leonard’s right arm, patiently selective at-bats, and the Rainbow Warriors’ three errors to win the first meeting between the Big West teams. UCSD, which joined the Big West 10 months ago, is in the inaugural year of a four-year transition period from Division II. The Tritons have won seven of eight games to improve to 19-26 and 16-17 in the Big West. UH is 23-20 and 15-18 after its fifth consecutive loss.

“We just didn’t play well,” UH coach Mike Trapasso said. “We need to turn around and play better (on Saturday).”

The ’Bows were poised to receive a vocal boost with this week’s scaling back of restrictions on spectators at outdoor sporting events. Both teams were allowed to invite a limited number of family members and friends. Among the spectators was Les Murakami, the architect of the ’Bows’ program.

But the support could not help the ’Bows emerge from their offensive slump. In last week’s series, the ’Bows scored runs in only three of 34 innings. On Friday, Leonard extended the ’Bows’ frustration, allowing three hits and a walk in seven scoreless innings. Leonard retired the first eight UH batters in order before issuing a two-out walk to Aaron Ujimori in the third. Later, Leonard did not allow a baserunner in a seven-hitter stretch leading to his departure.

“We were anemic again offensively,” Trapasso said. “The starter goes out and shuts us out for seven innings. You’re not going to win a lot of games with that happening.”

The ’Bows scored a pair of runs in the eighth to close to 5-2. After Stone Miyao walked and Tyler Murray doubled to right, Ujimori had an RBI groundout to short and Scotty Scott drove in Murray with a bloop to right.

But down 6-2 in the ninth, a final push fizzled when the ’Bows stranded runners at the corners.

UH starting pitcher Aaron Davenport was able to match Leonard’s efficiency through the first five innings, but then struggled with his control. Davenport entered averaging 1.67 walks per nine innings. But he issued four walks in a four-run sixth, including free passes to the first two hitters, as the Tritons expanded their lead to 5-0. Davenport exited with two outs in the sixth.

“Aaron kept us close, but then uncharacteristically struggled,” Trapasso said. “He struggled with his rhythm. He was a little bit out of sync all night. He battled through it. The sixth inning starts with a walk to the leadoff hitter, who’s the nine-hole hitter. And when you walk the nine-hole hitter to lead off an inning, that’s usually a bad omen. Things just went downhill from there. That’s uncharacteristic from Aaron, but he’ll bounce back.”

At the heart of the ’Bows’ philosophy is to avoid being burned by walks, errors or leadoff hitters. Two Tritons who opened innings with a walk and a hit-and-error play came around to score.

The Tritons’ insurance run in the ninth inning was a product of an uncredited UH miscue. Michael Fuhrman reached on a one-out single. Pitcher Tai Atkins appeared to catch Fuhrman drifting too far away from the base. But first baseman Matt Campos bobbled the ball as Fuhrman sprinted safely to second. Fuhrman was credited with a steal. Fuhrman then scored on Blake Baumgartner’s opposite-field drive to right-center.