Clovis softball crowd takes national anthem matter into its own hands

Clovis’ patriotism was on full display Friday at Fresno State’s Margie Wright Diamond prior to the Clovis High-Buchanan championship softball game.

During pre-game ceremonies, broadcasters announced that the national anthem wouldn’t be played because they had already done so during a previous game earlier in the day.

That’s when fans took matters into their own hands by signing the national anthem themselves.

Event coordinator Bob Kayajanian gave an explanation following the game.

“Normal protocol when you have an event in sessions is you run the first game with the national anthem, and the second game you just play,” Kayajanian told KMPH Fox 26. “The two teams turned to face the flag and no one was in the press box ready to play the national anthem. Rather than just say we already played the national anthem, the announcer said ‘there is no national anthem’ which obviously got everybody in an uproar. Then, they started to play some music to get the teams ready to play and the people took that as the start of the national anthem. I thought it was awesome that they all sang together.”

From now on, the national anthem will be played before each game, Kayajanian added.

The Cougars went on to win their second straight Division I softball title.

CR Staff:
Related Post