Softball crowd sings national anthem unaccompanied

ABCNews.com(FRESNO, Calif.) — Patriotism rang out during a high school softball tournament in California last Friday.

Before Clovis High School faced off against Buchanan High School during the Central Section softball championship on May 25, the announcer said the national anthem would not be played.

Typically, when there are several games in a row, the anthem is only played before the first game.

But the crowd were having none of that.

After the announcement was made, witnesses said many people booed and decided to take matters into their own hands.

People in the crowd can be seen standing and singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on their own.

According to the Fresno Bee, when the song was done, the crowd erupted in applause.

The game went on as planned after the patriotic interlude.

The Central Section event coordinator, Bob Kayajanian, told the Fresno Bee not playing the anthem was a mistake.

“We got caught [off-guard],” Kayajanian told the Fresno Bee. “Both the teams turned to face the field and they all started singing the national anthem. They started to play some music and the people took that as the national anthem and they all started singing, which I think is obviously a wonderful thing to show off their patriotism.”

Kayajanian said the anthem will be played at every game now.

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