Jiangsu came out on top, however, with some "small ball" of their own, capped off by the second clutch RBI of the night from Jing—a no-doubt-about-it single to right center that saw his teammates begin charging out of the dugout in jubilation as soon as contact was made.

Jing, who had come on as a substitute for designated hitter Chen Chen in the eighth, described his state walking up to the plate as "zeroed in".

"I was focused on the first pitch and nothing else," he recalled during postgame celebrations.

When asked what he said to his team during a huddle moments later, after the reality of the moment set in, Jiangsu Huge Horse manager Chen Biao said he told them: "You guys gave it your all. I'm sure everyone is exhausted, and hey, we ended up with the best possible result. And now...it's time to rest and enjoy this."