The first two batters of the game scored for visiting Ripon on Thursday, only for East Union to battle back with the hot hand and bat of Fallon Norman for a 3-2 non-league softball win at Northgate Softball Complex.

After giving up those first two runs to the Indians (2-2) on a bunt single and an error, Norman clamped down through the fifth when she was relieved, striking out five, allowing just two more hits and walking one.

Norman went 3 for 3 with a double and she knocked in all three runs for the Lancers (2-1).

“I felt really great today,” Norman said. “The ball was moving well for me and my changeup was working really well, throwing a lot of batters off and I was seeing the ball really well in the box.

“I was working on keeping my swing short, because lately I have been getting out of my swing a little bit, but today I saw the ball really well.”

Savannah Lopez was a beneficiary of Norman’s bats, scoring two of the three East Union runs. Leadoff batter Caliyah Lopez scored the other run on Norman’s fifth-inning double along with Lopez.

“I am so fast, it is kind of easy to get around out there,” Lopez said. “And it’s really good when Caliyah (Lopez) gets on in front of me.”

The Lancers rapped out seven hits and went down in order just once.

“We started off with a different energy today,” East Union coach David Garza said. “The girls have battled through adversity, and I am very, very proud of how hard they have worked.

“We preach positivity to these girls, and we want to make sure they have a clear head space and make adjustments. That’s what they did, and they pulled it off at the end.”

Addi Naranjo led off the game for the Ripon with a bunt single, and Clara Townsend followed with a fielder’s choice. Naranjo scored on an Angie Martinez sacrifice fly, with Townsend skipping home on an error.

“We just couldn’t really adjust to the strike zone,” Indians coach Tanner Jordan said. “The pitcher was hitting some good spots that we had a lot of trouble adjusting to.

“We’re very young this year, so there is a lot of learning going on with how to adjust to these pitchers and making game-time adjustments, so we are taking this as a learning moment and trying to get better from it.”

The Lancers travel to Arnaiz Field today in Stockton to face St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. and on Tuesday Ripon hosts Tokay at 3:30 p.m.