OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Leon Flemming and James Welch combined on a five-hitter Thursday to lead Norwalk, Conn., to a 7-2 victory against Gayton Post of Lewiston in an opening-round game of the American Legion baseball Northeast Regional.

Gayton, the Maine champion, will play Whitestown, N.Y. at 9:30 a.m. today in a losers’-bracket game of the double-elimination tournament. Norwalk will play Worcester, Mass., in the winners’ bracket at 4:30 p.m. today.

Flemming scattered four hits, striking out three and walking seven in seven innings. Welch pitched two innings of one-hit scoreless relief.

Spencer Jacoby and Kevin Lawrence each had three singles in a 12-hit offense for Norwalk, which led 5-0 in the sixth.

Norwalk opened the scoring in the third when Jacoby bounced a single up the middle to drive in the first run. In the fourth, Lukas Labry made it 2-0 when he drove in a run with a grounder.

Norwalk took a 5-0 lead in the sixth. After Flemming drove in a run with a double, Labry and Matt Ederle followed with run-producing singles.

In the bottom of the sixth, Scott Ouellette drove in a run with a single to center to make it 5-1 after brothers Mckae and Corbin Hyde walked.

Norwalk added two runs in the seventh when Jacoby scored on a wild pitch and Lawrence drove in a run with his third hit.

Gayton Post completed the scoring in the eighth when both Hyde brothers again walked, and Mckae Hyde came around to score on a throwing error.

EAST SIDE POST 3, WHITESTOWN POST 1: Bryan Perez scattered seven hits and struck out 11 as the East Side Post of Worcester, Mass., opened the tournament with a win against the New York champion.

STEVENS-BUSWELL POST 5, AUBURN POST 1: Lucas Olen threw a four-hitter, striking out seven and walking one, as the New Hampshire champion opened with a win against the Rhode Island champion.