Marietta College’s Louis Goodnow (13) carries the ball on an 8-yard touchdown catch during Saturday’s game against Heidelberg at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Joe Tenta’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Payton Newman early in the third quarter put Marietta College up 27-14, but Heidelberg scored 16 unanswered points to escape Don Drumm Stadium with a 30-27 victory Saturday.

Coming off a 42-9 blowout loss to Ohio Northern last week, the Pioneers (3-2) were looking to bounce back and got off to a good start.

Tenta’s 8-yard TD pass to Louis Goodnow put MC up 7-0 after a quarter of play.

Early in the second, Tenta’s 48-yard completion to John Sierputowski, who finished with 99 yards on four catches, set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Zion Jackson-Wilborn to make it 14-0 Marietta. A massive special teams play gave Heidelberg (3-2) a much needed lift as Korbyn Haley returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards to the house to cut it to 14-7.

The Pioneer offense made up for the miscue. Benny Lewis, who carried 28 times for 113 yards in the contest while filling in for injured starter Vante’ Hodges, had three chunk runs before Tenta completed an 18-yard pass to Chrys Taylor to get the Heidelberg 5-yard line. Three carries by Jackson-Wilborn later, MC found the end zone again to make it 21-7 with 7:59 to go in the second.

Marietta College’s Louis Goodnow (13) carries the ball on an 8-yard touchdown catch during Saturday’s game against Heidelberg at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

With 2:20 left in the half, the Student Princes were looking to execute a two-minute drill, but QB Ty Poorman was strip-sacked by Harley Hopkins. Anthony Karp jumped on the loose ball to give the Pioneers the ball at Heidelberg’s 14-yard line.

The chance to go up three scores at halftime was squandered on a miscommunication. Tenta’s read-option handoff to Lewis was dropped and scooped up by Heidelberg’s Kris Williams, who took it 81 yards to the end zone.

Instead of leading 28-7, the Pioneers were up just 21-14 at the break after both teams traded interceptions at the end of the second quarter — one by Heidelberg’s Xavier Weaver and one by Marietta’s Jaylen Tinsley.

MC got the ball to start the second half. The Heidelberg defense forced a punt, but return man Chase Woodruff dropped the ball. The Pioneers jumped on it to take over at Heidelberg’s 15, and after a defensive pass interference call in the end zone, Tenta hit Newman on the short TD pass to make it 27-14.

The Student Princes answered with a 16-play- 63-yard drive that took 7 minutes and 59 seconds off the clock, but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Ethan Ramsdail, cutting Marietta’s lead to 10.

Marietta College’s Jaylen Tinsley (2) runs after an interception during Saturday’s game against Heidelberg at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

After a Marietta punt, Heidelberg had third-and-1 at its own 42 when Drew Miller took a handoff 29 yards to the Marietta 29. A facemask call and an 8-yard run by Miller put the ball inside Marietta’s 7. Two plays later, Haley found the end zone from a yard out to get the Student Princes within three with 11:38 remaining in the game.

The Pioneers’ ensuing drive made it to midfield before Tenta was picked off by Griffin Reese, who returned it 21 yards to MC’s 35.

A 19-yard pass from Poorman to Dmitry Peters set up Miller’s 7-yard touchdown run, giving the Princes their first lead of the day at 30-27 with 7:58 remaining.

After Marietta went three-and-out on its next possession, Heidelberg had a chance to put the game away. The Student Princes had first-and-goal at Marietta’s 9 after an 18-yard run by Miller. However, another run by Miller resulted in a fumble. Jonah Asebrook pried the ball out and Brady McManaway fell on it for his second recovery of the game.

With less than two minutes to go, Marietta faced third-and-10 from its own 45. Tenta kept the ball and had daylight up the middle of the field, but started his slide two yards short of the first-down marker. On fourth-and-2, Tenta handed off to Lewis, who was stuffed for no gain.

Marietta College’s Chrys Taylor runs after a catch during Saturday’s game against Heidelberg at Don Drumm Stadium. (Photo by Jordan Holland)

Marietta had all three timeouts and was able to force a three-and-out, but Nate LaRoche booted a perfect 45-yard punt to Marietta’s 6-yard line.

Completions of 24 and 12 yards to Sierputowski and Kenyon Franklin, respectively, moved the ball to the 50, but Tenta’s fourth-down pass was dropped with six seconds left. A kneeldown by Poorman ended the game.

Marietta out-gained Heidelberg 371-236 and committed fewer turnovers (4-3).

Poorman finished 9 for 22 for 117 yards and a pick. Miller carried 22 times for 108 yards.

Tenta, filling in for injured starter Antwon Johnson, completed 20 of 44 passes for 209 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.

Defensively, Hopkins had 11 tackles while McManaway had 10. Harper Scott had a sack while Isaiah Mitchell blocked a punt.

Contact Jordan Holland at jholland@mariettatimes.com.