Chatsworth Soars on LaCour Fly : High school baseball: After walking four times, shortstop drives in decisive run in 8-inning victory over Granada Hills.

Bryan LaCour of Chatsworth High walked four times in Tuesday’s Northwest Valley Conference game against Granada Hills.

The Highlanders, though, didn’t have the luxury of walking LaCour a fifth time when the Stanford-bound shortstop came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning.

An open base would have come in handy.

LaCour drove in Mike Amado from third base with a sacrifice fly to shallow center field to give the Chancellors a 3-2 victory in a meeting between the conference’s top two teams.

LaCour was behind in the count 0 and 2.

“I was looking for a pitch out of the zone,” he said. “I was real surprised they gave me something to hit. I really didn’t think I hit it that well but it was enough.”

Chatsworth (16-3, 7-0 in conference play) had only four hits, stranded 12 baserunners and left the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings, but came away with its eighth consecutive victory with the help of starter Jim DiBiase (5-1).

The senior right-hander threw a three-hitter and struck out 12 in pitching his fourth complete game. Granada Hills (8-4, 4-3) did not advance a runner past first base in the final four innings.

“I knew if I kept throwing strikes we were bound to score some runs,” DiBiase said. “It was eight innings of pure battle. We had to earn the victory.”

Amado reached base on a bobbled ground ball to start the eighth and advanced to second on a bunt by Jeremy Tayahua. Ray Daryabigi walked, and his twin, Rod, singled up the middle to load the bases for LaCour.

Jarrod Penwarden gave Granada Hills a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run to left-center field in the third. The Chancellors, held hitless through five innings by Granada Hills starter John Bolyard, tied the score, 2-2, in the sixth on sacrifice flies by Dan Phillips and Ray Daryabigi.

“We squandered an opportunity or two and they squandered a few opportunities,” Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn said. “We just had the right man at the plate at the right time.”