It reminds me of what happened later on a much larger scale in the Battle of Leyte gulf when the Taffy 3 destroyers scared off a Japanese main battle fleet.
And the battle of the Coral Sea. An argument could be made as to the Battle of Midway, as well.
Or we could start with Pearl Harbor, where the IJN withdrew rather than launch a third strike that might have caused significant damage. Savo Island, where the IJN crushed the American warships, but then withdrew rather than finish things off. The pattern repeats, time after time.