Mary and Ron Aberle were back home in Minot on Sunday afternoon, without the urgency of rushing the pregnant Mary to the hospital.

The couple did make what Ron Aberle called a "side trip" to St. Alexius Medical Center on Sunday morning.

"Things were happening, and I wanted to have her checked out," he said by telephone Sunday afternoon. "If things went faster, we would get back to Minot.

"She was OK."

Even though Mary is expecting at any time and was experiencing some labor pains, the couple decided to come to Bismarck with their children so he could play in the McQuade Softball Tournament.

Ron plays for the Minot-based Kruse's Collision Center, and he was in the lineup for its game on Sunday. Mary stayed at the motel.

But Ron decided to head back north after that game, instead of playing again in the third-place game Sunday afternoon.

"We had enough guys, and one other guy can pitch," he said.

"She paid her dues for the weekend, and I decided I had better get her back."