POCATELLO — This is the week that could determine the Pocatello Razorbacks’ fate. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Razorbacks are in control of their own destiny. They just have to capitalize on the moment.

So far, so good.

Pocatello heated up after a slow start to upend the Twin Falls Cowboys 8-1 and 11-1 in a doubleheader Monday at Halliwell Park.

It’s the start of a week when the Razorbacks play eight conference games in six days. If they can go 8-0, they’re guaranteed a No. 1 seed in the postseason tournament July 23-25 in Idaho Falls and a coveted first-round bye.

On the other hand, if they don’t respond, forget the one seed. Then the road to a district championship gets a whole lot tougher.

“As far as district play, this week is super important,” said Highland junior Jake Sorensen, who went 2 for 4 and scored two runs against Twin Falls.

Pocatello (30-10, 13-2 Area C) split a pair of games at the Twin Falls Blackhawks last week. The Blackhawks beat the Razorbacks by using a soft-tossing pitcher who confounded Razorback hitters who are used to hard-throwing hurlers. A guy who doesn’t throw hard is a change of pace — one that can be difficult for hitters to adjust to.

For the Blackhawks, it worked. They held Pocatello to two runs off three hits. It seemed like the Twin Falls Cowboys tried to follow a similar strategy. They gave it a shot with pitcher Wyatt Haszier. He held the Razorbacks to a run off four hits through the first three innings. Pocatello stranded five base runners and couldn’t avoid grounding out to the infield or popping up for easy outs.

This time, though, the Razorbacks settled in.

“You don’t see it a lot. Coaches don’t teach us to hit a slow pitcher,” Sorensen said. “It’s usually not someone’s game plan to come out and throw your slowest pitcher on your team. We weren’t ready for it. But we adjusted and did a good job.”

Pocatello started to figure things out in the fourth inning. Cordell Shipley smacked a two-RBI single to center field and the Razorbacks led 3-0. In the fifth frame — after Twin Falls made a pitching change — Kade Farnes cracked an RBI single to left field and Pocatello held a commanding 5-0 advantage.

Shipley finished with three RBIs off two hits. Quinton Standley pinch hit in the sixth inning and crushed a line drive to right for a two-RBI double that scored the Razorbacks’ two final runs of the game.

Those eight runs were more than enough because the Razorbacks had their ace, Dillon Chandler, on the mound.

Pocatello coach Russ Davie said Chandler didn’t have his best stuff, especially when he didn’t throw first-pitch strikes. But the senior-to-be at Highland was still nearly unhittable. He gave up three hits and no runs, and one Twin Falls base runner advanced beyond first base in his six innings of work.

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“Dillon has big-game experience,” Davie said. “He knows what he’s doing.”

The Razorbacks will need more performances like it going forward. Their hectic week and quest for a top seed in the postseason continues Wednesday at home against Buhl.

“We’ve been playing good, but I don’t think we’ve reached our best yet,” Sorensen said. “We’re inching our way up.”

POCATELLO RAZORBACKS 8, TWIN FALLS COWBOYS 1

Cowboys 000 000 1 — 1 4 2

Razorbacks 100 223 x — 8 13 0

Cowboys — Pitchers: Wyatt Haszier 4 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 3 K, 6 BB; Cy Mulkey 2 IP, 5 R, 8 H, 2 K, 2 BB. Leading hitters: Anthony Scholes 1-3; Carson Prescott 1-3.

Razorbacks — Pitchers: Dillon Chandler 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 K, 1 BB; Hunter Williams 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K, 2 BB. Leading hitters: Jake Sorensen 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB; Cordell Shipley 2-4, 3 RBI; Spencer Bray 2-4, 2B, R; Quinton Standley 1-1, 2B, R, 2 RBI.