Ah, there is nothing like some good “BP’’ to get you ready. Just ask Saint Ignatius’ Mike Burke.

Tuesday afternoon, Burke shined almost as brightly as the sun that hovered over Lakewood Stadium as the talented junior infielder/pitcher drove in six of his team’s runs in a 14-4 victory over Olmsted Falls in the Division I District Semifinals.

The game was called in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule, which came courtesy of the second of Burke’s two big blasts.

“I felt pretty confident going into the game,’’ Burke said. “Coach (Brad) Ganor prepared me very well with BP (batting practice) before the game. I felt great in those at-bats, and it turned out I had a good day.’’

What the humble and team-first Burke had was a great day.

In highlighting a six-run first inning, Burke drove a 3-1 pitch over the center-field fence for a grand slam and he settled the issue by sending Mr. Rawlings soaring over the fence in right-center field for a two-out, two-run home run. The Wildcats went back-to-back in ending the game, as catcher Neil Butara preceded Burke’s touch-‘m-all-time by lining a two-run homer over the left-field fence.

Coach Ganor said it was Butara’s eighth round-tripper of the season, which puts the versatile senior just two away from tying the single-season school record of 10 set by Dave Gresky in 2000 and Greg Feltes in 2004.

The Wildcats (22-7), the top seed at Lakewood, will face fourth-seeded Valley Forge (14-9) in Thursday’s district championship game. The first pitch from Lakewood Stadium will be 5 p.m. Valley Forge advanced by rallying for four runs in the seventh inning and eliminating third-seeded North Royalton, 5-2, in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

Saint Ignatius, the Division I state runner-up last season, watched senior right-hander Luke Farrell (7-2) set down Olmsted Falls in order in the top of the first by striking out all three batters.

Sending nine hopefuls to the plate, the Wildcats started their six-run outburst with a walk to junior left fielder Kevin Hopkins on four pitches and a sinking line drive off the bat of senior shortstop Frank DeSico that the Bulldogs’ left fielder couldn’t handle. With one out, senior designated hitter Brian Lawless delivered a RBI double the opposite way to left field, Butara was hit by a pitch and junior third baseman Dave Gallagher made the score 2-0 by lining a sharp single over a leaping attempt by the shortstop.

Burke then temporarily silenced the Bulldogs’ faithful by abusing a fastball for his grand salami.

“He started me off 3-0 and got a strike in there, so I was pretty sure a fastball was coming,’’ Burke said. “The pitcher just missed his spot.’’

After Saint Ignatius pushed its lead to 8-0 on a towering two-run home run to left by senior second baseman Brad Clement, Olmsted Falls (16-11) got back in the game by combining two-out base hits by shortstop Cameron Trefny and center fielder Chad Sanford into a run in the top of the third and scoring three times in the fourth.

Left fielder Brett Lyzen and first baseman John Czechowski started the fourth with back-to-back hits, designated hitter Tom Novak came up with a one-out single and right fielder Charlie Trefny drew a bases-loaded walk. A Baltimore Chop off the bat of third baseman Mitch Saunders and a bases-loaded walk to Cameron Trefny cut the Wildcats’ lead in half.

Farrell would douse the fire by striking out the next two batters. He finished with seven Ks before being relieved by senior right-hander Jim Piascik with two outs and runners on second and third in the top of the fifth.

Piascik left the runners right where he found them by overpowering the next batter with a strikeout. He also reached back for something extra in the top of the sixth when, with runners on first and third and one out, he ended the threat with another strikeout and a groundout.

“My fastball was working, I was getting the outside corner,’’ said Piascik, who also contributes as a center fielder. “They did have the momentum, but I just had to come in and do my job.’’

In between Piascik’s clutch tosses, Lawless made it a five-run game by belting a home run to center field in the bottom of the fifth that landed in almost the identical spot as Burke’s grand slam. Saint Ignatius then sealed the deal with a five-run sixth that,

along with the jacks by Butara and Burke, featured a double to deep center field by Clement, some heads-up base running by DeSico and a base hit by Gallagher that set up Burke’s second goodbye to Mr. Rawlings.

“Jim (Piascik) did a great job,’’ said Coach Ganor, whose team out-hit the Bulldogs, 13-9. “If they score (in either of those situations), it’s a different feel at that point. You get out of it, put up a couple of runs and feel pretty good.’’