Actually you could build erc into the figure to contol the various ball hits.

what you'd have, would be the lane as the main group, with dummy obj (you could hide a simple cube inside the lane) groups as connector or something.

Then the ball, and all the pins would be parented to the connector.  Your erc for everyhting would just include translation or rotation.

You could even have the lane clearing arm erc controlled as well, but it won't work to clear the pins, you would have to do that animation separately.

Way too many people take way too many things way too seriously.