A little armor can go a long way. There are a few accomplished leather workers in the town, I would seek them out. (OOG: I know Dave C and a few others can make stuff. Move over to the OOG forum and ask around. You ultimately need a rep before you get the tag.)
If your dead set on keeping your mobility and forgoing armor, you'll just need to not rush in as much as you did. Yell at them, swing your weapon, distract them, but focus more on blocking and staying out of reach. You know how to use a long weapon so use the reach to stay out of theirs.
-Fredrick Crawford